“It’s Still Better To Be a Rich, Miserable F—”: Gene Simmons Talks Humble Beginnings, Fame, and Money

Having spent nearly six decades on stage, Gene Simmons produced a mesmerizing career in the music industry thanks to the hard rock band KISS. But outside of sharing the stage with Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, Simmons also explored a solo career. Although looking to turn 76 years old this coming August, Simmons has no intention of stepping off the stage just yet. And while having more than enough knowledge about fame and the entertainment business, the rock icon admitted it was always better to be rich even if the person was a “miserable f**k.” 

Videos by American Songwriter

Speaking on the UCR Podcast, Simmons opened up about his past and how it shaped his future. Although growing up poor, the singer built a wealth that exceeded over $400 million. Holding so much wealth, he looked back to his humble beginnings. “My mother worked at a sweat factory six days out of the week and survived the Nazi concentration camps of Germany. You know, life is tough, so the romantic hippie dippie notation about life never worked for me.”

With Simmons knowing early on that he wanted to change his status in the world, he admitted to doing whatever it took. “All I ever did was try to figure out how to become powerful and make lots of money, for survival. The only thing money ever does, really, is give you the freedom to do stuff you actually like doing.”

[RELATED: Gene Simmons Says KISS “Will Hold True to the Promise” at Reunion Show]

Gene Simmons Reveals Even Famous People Are “Poor”

Eventually finding himself rubbing shoulders with some of the richest people in the business, Simmons quickly learned, “Throughout KISS, fame was nice, but there are a lot of famous people who are relatively poor, that’s not a lot of fun. But on the other side, there’s a lot of industrial types whose names you don’t recognize who are filthy rich.”

With a lifetime worth of memories, Simmons ended his conversation about fame and money, insisting, “It’s better to be rich than poor, it really is. And if you’re a miserable fuck, it’s still better to be a rich, miserable f**k. That’s all I ever tried to do.”

(Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)