Kiss Bassist Gives Sound Financial Advice

Kiss bass player Gene Simmons was on CNBC today talking about his new venture, a social networking tool called Ortsbo that can translate instant messages into 52 languages. If a quick glance at Simmons is enough to make you smirk and turn away, don't be so quick to judge. Kiss is a classic rock 'n' roll band but the money they made from music pales when compared to the amount they pulled in through merchandise. Simmons has always been a businessman and that is why, at the height of Kiss-mania, you could buy Kiss dolls, Kiss lunch boxes, Kiss make up – basically anything you can imagine. In addition, Simmons is a co-founder of

, a life insurance company for the rich and privileged. It's a fact that Simmons looks far less creepy with his make up on than he does without it. The man can often be found with his shirt unbuttoned about halfway down and wearing sunglasses indoors. However, Simmons knows how to make money so he's worth paying attention to. It will certainly be interesting to see how Ortsbo develops.