Fans might think Kiss legend Gene Simmons started raking in the cash the moment KISS hit the stage, right? Well, not exactly. During a recent appearance on The Fighter and The Kid podcast, Gene dropped a surprising—and honestly, kinda embarrassing truth about his first significant paycheck with KISS.
Gene Simmons revealed that during KISS’s early days, he earned 75 dollars a week and after a few months it increased to 85 dollars a week. Simmons also recalled having a conversation with his mother and showed her the first significant amount of money.
Fast forward to today, and Gene Simmons is not hurting for cash. It’s wild to think that a band like KISS—now a billion-dollar empire—started off with such humble beginnings. KISS is a merchandising powerhouse, selling everything from lunchboxes to action figures to their own brand of casket. Simmons himself has an estimated net worth of over $400 million. He also trademarked the KISS logo and turned it into one of the most recognizable symbols in music history.
Even though Gene Simmons can laugh about that first tiny paycheck now, it’s clear those early days taught him a valuable lesson that, success doesn’t come overnight. It takes hard work, vision, and a whole lot of belief in yourself, and maybe a little bit of fire-breathing.
During an interview, Simmons also shared his advice on money.
