Sir Elton tunes in to big payday

SIR Elton John is famous for his lavish lifestyle - and he will be able to afford plenty of flowers after a massive salary rise.

The 56-year-old star, who is being paid £30m for 75 shows at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, also earned millions from his songs and touring last year.

John is believed to have received the lion's share of £21m paid in wages by his company, William A Bong Ltd.

The figure in the company's latest accounts was more than double the £9.2m paid the previous year, itself a big jump from £2m a year earlier.

Though Bong has 21 employees, 20 are labelled administrative workers while one - John - is described as creative staff, but the accounts do not break down individual salaries.

The accounts also show that John increased the amount he owed Bong during the year from £13.3m to £15.8m.

The huge payout came in the 12 months to 31 March last year when Bong's turnover rose to £30.8m from £21.3m a year earlier.

This was due mainly to a £25.7m contribution from turnover derived from outside the UK, believed to include tour income.

Overseas taxation and the higher salaries left Bong with a loss after tax of £131,609 for the year against a profit the year before of £3.1m.