Simon Cowell is handing a fortune of £10 million to One Direction just 7 months after the release of their debut single What Makes You Beautiful.
Heartthrobs Zayn Malik, 19, Louis Tomlinson, 20, plus Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, all 18, will earn an impressive £2 million each.
'Simon Cowell wants them to know what they deserve,' says a source.
'They have been a massive success, what they have achieved is phenomenal.
'They have made him an absolute fortune and he is incredibly proud.'
Simon thinks that 1D are the hardest working people in pop at the moment.
They had a sell-out tour in the UK before heading to the US, where they became the most successful UK band ever when they conquered the Billboard 200 with album Up All Night.
The boys continued their quest for world domination with a mini-tour of Australia and New Zealand.
'He always saw potential in them and now it's paying off,' the source tells The People.
'Girls across the globe simply love them.'
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Sophie Yates
