300 per cent pay rise. That's what Elton awarded himself in the last 12 months as his pay went up to £35.5 million, reported the Daily Mail newspaper on September 2, 1998.
Elton had earned £12.8 million in 1995, according to rock industry accountant Cliff Dane. But in 1996, Elton's pay from his two publishing companies Happenstance and J. Bondi - of which he's the only employee - leapt.
But before you accuse mega-talent Elton of being a fat cat - you wouldn't dare! - the same survey, conducted by the union-funded Labour Research organisation, found that singer Sting took a 659% pay rise.