Gene Simmons has once again offered a window into his views on wealth, ambition and success, with the KISS bassist/vocalist naming Warren Buffett, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos among the people he finds most impressive.
During a new appearance on ‘Talkin’ Rock With Meltdown’ on WRIF, Simmons discussed how his own financial aspirations have changed throughout his career. He recalled that when KISS were first getting started roughly five decades ago, his biggest goal was simply to record an album and see it sitting in a record store.
Simmons said that achieving one goal only led to another, comparing the process to finding increasingly valuable amounts of money as a child.
“When you climb on top of a mountain, you go, ‘Wow, I made it.’ Then you look around and there are taller mountains, and you go, ‘Okay.’ Roll up your sleeves and keep going. That’s really the idea. Keep going.”
That mentality has remained central to how Simmons approaches both his career and finances. Earlier this year, he responded to a social media user who questioned whether he had accumulated enough money, pointing to Buffett, Bezos and Musk as examples of people who continue pursuing greater goals regardless of their existing wealth.
During the new interview, Simmons expanded on that philosophy when the discussion turned toward his continued desire to perform. When host Meltdown suggested that repeatedly taking the stage could be viewed as an addiction, Simmons rejected that characterization.
“I don’t like that word. I think it infers negativity — drug addicts, alcohol and so on. But when you love doing something, I wonder why that’s an addiction.”
Simmons instead compared his drive to work with people who would welcome the opportunity to have more work, arguing that describing someone as a “workaholic” can overlook the privilege of simply having an opportunity to pursue something they enjoy.
He then returned to the subject of wealth and ambition, again highlighting three of the world’s best-known billionaires.
“The most impressive people to me are Buffett and Elon Musk and Bezos.”
Simmons went on to praise Musk’s ambitions beyond his existing business empire, pointing specifically to his interest in space exploration and the possibility of establishing cities on Mars.
“These are people who have higher intellect and a grander vision of life, that you can do big things.”
For Simmons, however, the underlying principle isn’t simply accumulating money. He related the idea back to his creative work, arguing that the real reward of writing a song, creating a painting or making a record comes from having other people experience it.
“The joy is to have other people read it and comment. Some love it. You’re a painter and you do this amazing painting that you’re really proud of — and I’ve done some of that myself — well, if nobody sees it, where’s the joy in that?”
That same philosophy, Simmons suggested, is what continues to drive him toward the stage even after KISS officially concluded its farewell tour in December 2023. While the band’s original live career has ended, Simmons and his former bandmates have continued to explore other ways of extending the KISS brand, including their planned digital-avatar incarnation.
The full conversation with Gene Simmons is available through ‘Talkin’ Rock With Meltdown.’
If you’re rocking with The Mosh Network, hit the link and add us as a Preferred Source on Google. That’s the easiest way to keep our latest metal, hardcore, and alternative news, tours, and releases showing up directly in your feed.
