Simon Fuller, the pop Svengali who launched the Spice Girls and created the global Pop Idol phenomenon, has been judged the most successful British music manager of all time.

Fuller is ranked ahead other notable UK managers including the Beatles' Brian Epstein, Led Zeppelin's Peter Grant, Pink Floyd's Steve O'Rourke and Genesis's Tony Smith, according to the American magazine Billboard.

The music mogul's acts, which include Annie Lennox, the songwriter Cathy Denis and, formerly, Amy Winehouse, have been responsible for more than 500 number one singles globally, more than 240 number one albums and have sold 116 million records in America, according to Billboard.

The Sunday Times Rich List estimated his worth at £450 million in April.

Born in Cyprus in 1960, Fuller was raised in west Africa with his brothers Kim and Mark. He opted out of attending university upon his return to England, choosing instead local disco management. He later found work as a talent scout for Chrysalis Records, where he signed pop icon Madonna's first single, Holiday, before turning to talent management a year later.

The success of the Spice Girls in 1996 soon led to a stab at similar fortune with S Club 7 in 1999. The audition process for the group helped plant the seeds for Fuller's Pop Idol creation two years later.

Fuller's impact on the music industry has left opinion divided, however. Proponents admire his shrewd business manoeuvers, while critics consider them to be a blight on the music industry.

Fuller splits his time between offices in south London and Los Angeles.

Billboard names the Top Five British music managers as:

1. Simon Fuller 116m records

2. Peter Grant 110.5m

3. Brian Epstein 106m

4. Steve O’Rourke (Pink Floyd) 70.5m

5. Tony Smith (Genesis) 57m

The magazine's Top Five global music managers are:

1. Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis Presley) 148m

2. Irving Azoff (Eagles, Stevie Nicks) 122.5m

3. Simon Fuller 116m

4. Bob Doyle (Garth Brooks) 116m

5. Peter Grant 110.5m

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