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0 View comments Simon Cowell’s brother Nicholas has told how the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent creator changed the world by contributing to a culture where 'everyone wants to get rich quick'. The 50-year-old property developer - two years Simon’s junior - praised his brother’s 'unbelievable' achievement and revealed that he 'works hard'. Nicholas bought his first property when he was 20 and his company, The Estate Office, recently paid £17 million for the 70-room, five-star Verta hotel and spa in Battersea. 'He changed the world': Simon Cowell (pictured this week in Blackpool) contributed to a culture 'where everyone wants to get rich quick' according to his brother In an interview with ES Magazine, out today, he said: 'These days, partly due to my brother, everyone wants to get rich quick. 'The world is a different place from when we were growing up. There was never this thought that you had to be successful or make

79 View comments Former T4 presenter Miquita Oliver is facing bankruptcy after failing to pay a tax bill of more than £174,000, according to a firm of accountants. A statement from the firm, Baker Tilly confirmed that the HM Revenue and Customs had petitioned for the star to be declared bankrupt due to unpaid taxes on 11 November last year. The 27-year-old is perhaps best known for presenting Popworld with Simon Amstell in the early part of the last decade.  Facing bankruptcy: The TV presenter Miquita Oliver was a bridesmaid at childhood friend Lily Allen's wedding last year. She left the Channel 4 show in 2006 but continued to present on T4 and has also hosted shows on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra. She also went on to work on the 4Music channel and was a bridesmaid at the wedding of childhood friend Lily Allen last year.   More... How the rich and famous use a tax loophole to pay just 21% income tax - and how you can do the same Her publicist said: 'We can confi

45 View comments A BBC newsreader has caused controversy by calling on bosses to give her and other women presenters a clothing allowance. Jane Hill – who earns between £80,000 and £100,000 a year – said her male counterparts need only to change their ties, while a woman’s appearance on screen is more important now than ever. Dress sense: BBC Newsreader Jane Hill Believes women presenters should get a clothing allowance She said: ‘It’s expensive… as we have to buy all our own clothes. We’re criticised if we keep wearing the same thing, whereas male hosts only need new ties. Until that changes, we should get a dress allowance.’ Super scrimper: Emma Boon, campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, pays for her own clothes She added in a piece for the Sunday Times Style magazine: ‘There’s more emphasis on appearance than ever, which is depressing, because it’s the new, not Strictly.   More... BBC newsreader admits she earns £92,000 How BBC stars can earn £1

11 View comments Heard the one about the comedian who earns more than most Premier League footballers? Well, luckily for some of Britain’s funniest performers, it's no joke. Leading comedians such as Peter Kay are now pocketing up to £20million per tour, comfortably outearning more than the average top-flight football stars. The new rock and roll: Peter Kay made over £20m from his most recent stand-up tour, more than David and Victoria Beckham's 2011 earnings Comedy royalty: Michael McIntyre, pictured performing at the Help The Heroes Concert in 2010, is another high-earning stand-up star The extraordinary sums mark a shift towards a new breed of super stand-ups, who can fill the country’s largest stadiums just like major pop stars. Bolton-born Kay topped the list of estimated earnings from ticket and DVD sales in 2011 with £20.34million – the same amount that David and Victoria Beckham made in 2011. His total includes profits from £1.04million ticke

5 View comments Whitney Houston fans have accused Apple of exploiting the late singer's death by increasing the cost of her in-demand albums on iTunes. Her Ultimate Collection album, released in 2007, has increased by £3 ($4.70) to £7.99 ($12.60), according to entertainment website, Digital Spy. It comes after the singer, whose most famous hits include I Will Always Love You and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, was found dead in her Los Angeles hotel room on Saturday afternoon at the age of 48. 'Exploitation': Apple has been accused of raising the cost of Whitney Houston's albums following her death at a hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday Users reportedly complained they were unable to download the Ultimate Collection while it was given the new price. Some music fans accused Apple of 'cashing in' on the singer's death, while others said the company should be 'ashamed', Digital Spy reported. One customer said: 'To say I am angry is an

54 View comments One of Britain's leading experts in 'affluent bankruptcies' has warned of a sharp rise in professional footballers and celebrities going bust. Insolvency specialist Mark Sands, who is currently handling five bankruptcies of ex-Premiership stars, says insolvencies among former football stars are mounting despite the recent spiralling wages in the top flight. 'Quite often it's players who have failed to readjust their spending and lifestyles when their earnings fall towards the end of their career,' said Sands, head of the national bankruptcy team at RSM Tenon. 'But just as frequently it's because their investments have gone wrong.' Money trouble: Lee Hendrie was on loan to Stoke from Aston Villa   More... TV presenter Miquita Oliver, 27, faces bankruptcy due to £174k unpaid tax bill How footballers and bankers use a loophole to pay only 20% tax (and how you can do the same) From Ireland's richest man to a ba

20 View comments The taxman is to crackdown on staff employees who set themselves up as 'companies' to avoid paying income tax, the Chancellor has pledged. Tax-efficient: Fiona Bruce It follows recent revelations about public servants who have exploited a loophole that enables them to pay corporation tax - of 20 per cent - on their 'revenue' rather than income tax of 40 per cent or 50 per cent. It emerged earlier this year that the head of the Student Loans Company, Ed Lester, had saved an estimated £40,000 a year from his tax bill. Mr Lester, who earns £140,000 a year, has been paid through a private firm under a two year contract signed in January 2011. Ken Livingstone, London mayoral candidate, is also paid through a company. These 'personal service companies' are also popular with top-flight footballers, celebrities - including a handful of BBC presenters - and among highly paid workers in the City. The letter of tax law, under a heav