Gene Simmons Highest-Paid Musician in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid musicians” released on Saturday.
Gene Simmons »
See more news, pictures and video.

It's been a rough year for the musician, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 76-year-old Gene Simmons has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid musicians for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 11/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Gene Simmons tops annual list of highest-paid musicians

In 2023 it looked like the musician’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Saturday (January 10) that Simmons is the highest-paid musician in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $20 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The American musician-singer-songwriter-producer-business man-actor has an estimated net worth of $145 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Simmons Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Tirat HaCarmel Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondersimmons - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Gene) and a fashion line called “Gene Simmons Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Gene fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

© 2026 MediaMass All rights reserved. Do not reproduce (even with permission).

Gene Simmons: Recent News

 

page served in 0.038s (1,3)