A new report reveals that anyone in the Idol top 5 is guaranteed big bucks!

Regardless of how we feel about this season’s American Idol finalists, five of them are guaranteed to walk away from the competition with pretty hefty wallets, according to a new report from The New York Times. Citing a contract signed during last season’s competition and filed in the state court of Los Angeles, the Times reports that last season’s winner, Kris Allen, earned $650,000 from his time on Idol. And sources close to Idol say that no previous winner has earned less than $1 million within a year of winning, after tallying performance fees and royalties from merchandise sold during the American Idol summer tours. And the rest of the top five Idol finalists don’t do too badly, either. The Times says this season’s top five are expected to earn about $100,000 from their time on the show, and up to four times that much if the show offers them a record deal. As a consolation prize, everyone else in the top 12 is guaranteed at least several thousand dollars. Read more