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Gene Simmons Kisses California Goodbye

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Gene Simmons spent four decades building an empire in Los Angeles — then decided the tax bill wasn’t worth the view anymore.

The Kiss co-founder and bassist has officially left California, trading his longtime Beverly Hills life for a quieter existence in Nevada. After more than 35 to 40 years in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Shannon Tweed, Simmons packed up and headed for Lake Tahoe, citing everything from the state’s income tax rate to the wildfires, earthquakes, and tour buses idling outside his gate.

Simmons has never been shy about a grievance, and this one came with a full explanation on the record. He didn’t just move — he explained exactly why, in blunt terms, and put his old estate up for sale to prove he meant it.

• Simmons left Southern California after 35 to 40 years, relocating with Shannon Tweed to a 12,000-square-foot mansion in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
• He called California’s tax rates “unacceptable,” arguing they make the state uninhabitable for high earners like himself.
• His Beverly Hills estate was first listed in late 2020 for $22 million, then pulled, renovated, and relisted at $25 million.

The Case Against California

Simmons framed his exit as less about sentiment and more about math. He pointed to California’s top-tier income tax bracket as the core issue, arguing that the state has turned on the very people who built businesses and created jobs there.

“California and Beverly Hills have been treating folks that create jobs badly and the tax rates are unacceptable. I work hard and pay taxes and keep my nose clean, and now I am leaving.”

Beyond the tax rate, Simmons listed the day-to-day annoyances that had piled up around his property — tourist buses rolling past his house, plus the broader anxiety of living somewhere prone to earthquakes, wildfires, and, fresh in everyone’s mind by 2021, pandemics. For a guy who spent 40-plus years in Southern California, it was a fairly specific list of complaints, and he didn’t hold back naming any of them.

Trading Beverly Hills for Lake Tahoe

The new setup couldn’t be more different from the old one. Simmons and Tweed settled into a 12,000-square-foot mansion in Lake Tahoe, drawn by Nevada’s lack of a state income tax and the promise of a life where he could actually hike a trail without running into a crowd or a camera crew.

Meanwhile, the Beverly Hills chapter is closing out on the market. The estate first went up for sale in late 2020 with a $22 million asking price, then got pulled off, renovated, and put back on the market at $25 million — a sign Simmons wanted top dollar for the property before fully cutting ties with California real estate.

A Familiar Exodus

Simmons is far from the only high-profile Californian to make this calculation in recent years, but few have been as loud about the reasoning. His comments echo a broader pattern of wealthy residents and business owners citing the state’s tax structure and cost of living as reasons to relocate to states like Nevada, Texas, and Florida — states that, unlike California, don’t tax personal income at all.

What makes Simmons’ version notable is the specificity: not a vague statement about “moving on,” but a direct accounting of dollar figures, listing prices, and square footage, delivered with the same bluntness he’s brought to interviews for 40-plus years.

Simmons still has the Kiss farewell tour circuit and plenty of business ventures to keep him busy — but for now, the man who spent decades as one of Beverly Hills’ most recognizable residents is doing his hiking in Nevada, and the $25 million question is simply who buys the old place next.