Gene Simmons Is Gonna Rock and Roll (and Make Millions) All Night
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Gene Simmons, the legendary member of KISS, has been a rock icon for decades. But behind the greasepaint (and the iconic tongue!), there's an extremely smart businessman who's amassed a fortune that’s bigger than you would’ve guessed.
Learn all about Simmons’ wild career and astronomical net worth.
How did Gene Simmons get his start?
Gene Simmons was born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, in 1949. When he was a kid, he and his mom immigrated to New York City, where he eventually changed his name to Eugene Klein.
After watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, he leaned hard into his passion for music and began playing the guitar in various bands.
After a brief stint as a grade-school teacher (seriously!), he changed his name to Gene Simmons, and teamed up with his partner in crime, Paul Stanley. In 1973, the two formed KISS…and well, the rest is history. They took the world by storm with their hard rock anthems, wild theatrics, signature makeup and of course, the tongues!
Related: KISS Frontman Gene Simmons Sends Strong Message After Young Pop Star Is Accused of Copying Him
What is Gene Simmons' net worth in 2024?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gene Simmons is worth a staggering $400 million. He's earned that from his hugely successful music career with KISS, his business ventures and his work as a media personality over the years.
Unfortunately, he can't summarize the secret to his success for the masses. "...All those books that are written like '10 Steps to Success' or “How You Can Become a Millionaire By Following These 10 Steps'—they’re not really true," Simmons once told Money. "If the only thing you have to do is follow those 10 steps, everybody who’s reading those books would be a multi-millionaire."
How did Gene Simmons get so rich?
The biggest chunk of Simmons’ fortune comes from the popularity of KISS and their extensive marketing of merchandise. From the late 1970s through the 1990s, KISS was unstoppable—selling more than 75 million records worldwide and touring to packed arenas. They were HUGE.
Now, all of that is normal for a rock band, but KISS’ approach to branding is what really set them apart. Simmons and his bandmates knew they had struck gold with KISS' iconic imagery and makeup, and smartly used that to their advantage. Where many bands earn most of their money from album sales and touring, KISS earned the bulk of its earnings from licensing deals.
Simmons and company aggressively licensed the KISS name, logo and imagery, using it to create a vast array of KISS-branded products, everything from pinball machines to lunch boxes. All told, that's generated over $1 billion—yes, 1 billion—in revenue since the 1970s, making it a significant contributor to Simmons' substantial net worth.
More recently, his reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, added even more money into his bank account. It all adds up to Simmons being incredibly savvy—and incredibly wealthy!
How much did the KISS catalog sell for?
In April 2024, Gene Simmons and his bandmate Paul Stanley (the only other living original band-member) sold the rights to KISS' entire catalog to a Swedish music investment company Pophouse for a simply wild $300 million. The deal included everything—the rights to their master recordings and publishing—as well as their characters and likenesses.
Simmons told People that the decision felt like the "natural thing" to do.
"Life happens while you're busy making important plans," Simmons said. "We were planning our respectful, proud walking off into the sunset, because we've been touring, we had been touring for half a century." But Simmons "didn't want to" push it for too long. "I don't want to go out there with my walker," he said.
Which KISS member is the richest?
Before selling to Pophouse, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were co-owners of the KISS brand. But with a net worth of $400 million, compared to Stanley's $200 million, Simmons is undoubtedly the wealthier of the two.
Related: KISS Members Ditch Iconic Face Paint for Group Outing Ahead of Final Show
What is Gene Simmons' mansion worth?
For many years, Gene Simmons' primary residence was a 16,500-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills, California, which he purchased in 1984 for $1.3 million. Simmons listed the property for sale in 2020 for $22 million, but eventually sold it for $16 million in 2021.
Simmons and his wife, Shannon Tweed, have since expanded their real-estate portfolio, acquiring properties in Malibu, Nevada, and a 24-acre estate near Whistler, British Columbia, where they built their dream home for a reported $4 million.
How many seasons are there of Gene Simmons Family Jewels?
In 2006, Simmons became a reality television star with the premiere of Gene Simmons Family Jewels. The show gave viewers an inside look at Gene's fun (and often chaotic!) home life and family, including his wife Shannon and their kids Nick and Sophie. The show was a big hit, running for a total of seven seasons, before wrapping up in 2012.
What did Gene Simmons get paid for Gene Simmons Family Jewels?
The exact details of Gene Simmons' earnings for Gene Simmons Family Jewels haven’t been made public. However, given that Simmons was the show's creator, producer and central figure, it’s likely that he earned a large share of the profits from the series.
