Ace Frehley dominated the world of rock as an iconic guitarist and vocalist for six stunning decades before being laid to rest on October 16, 2025. At the time of his death, Celebrity Net Worth estimated the musician’s net worth at $1 million. The late legend served as the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist, and founding member of the rock band KISS.
Now the talks are going around about who will inherit the millionaire’s fortune. While no public record of a will or a detailed estate plan has been released as of this writing, his wealth is speculated to be inherited by his immediate family: His now-estranged wife and Italian-American actress Jeanette Trerotola, and his daughter, Monique Frehley.
For those who might not know, Frehley tied the knot with Trerotola in New York City in May 1978, and his rock band even reportedly performed at the event. Around two years later, the couple welcomed their daughter, Monique, in 1980. They didn’t have any other children (via Us Weekly).
While the couple separated in the 1980s, they reportedly never divorced (via The Washington Post). In his 2012 book No Regrets, he is even said to have offered a glimpse into what went wrong in his marriage to Trerotola, reportedly recalling his seven years of marriage as (per Splice Today),
A fresh start was in order, and part of the process involved legally separating from my wife. Jeanette had decided to move on, and was involved in a relationship with a local guy.
Besides them, Ace Frehley is also survived by his brother, Charles, and sister, Nancy Salvner. But while Trerotola and Monique are likely the heirs of his fortune, since immediate family members, such as a spouse and children, are the primary beneficiaries in most cases, the inheritance might not be as easy.
For one, Frehley struggled financially during his life, including home foreclosure and unpaid taxes. So any possible outstanding debts would likely be settled with assets from his estate, thus potentially reducing the final amount distributed to his heirs (via Celebrity Net Worth).
How Did Ace Frehley Build His $1 Million Fortune?
As a creative individual, Ace Frehley’s professional musical career kick-started with multiple bands, including the Outrage, the Four Roses, King Kong, Honey (a cover band), the Magic People, Molimo, and Cathedral. Then he joined the band KISS as its lead guitarist, and everything changed (via Celebrity Net Worth and Marca).
While his initial beginnings were humble, as he started as a self-taught guitarist in The Bronx, Frehley helped his rock band build groundbreaking performances and record-breaking tours, resulting in the lasting power of the KISS brand. He co-founded the band with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss, and didn’t take long to become a fan-favorite with his signature “Spaceman” persona, silver costumes, and distinctive guitar tunes.
The majority of Frehley’s $1 million net worth was generated during the peak of his band’s global fame, especially in the 1970s and 80s, when it became one of the most successful touring and merchandising acts in the world. As a co-founding member, he scored from the multi-million-dollar touring revenues, album sales, and monumental merchandising empire of the rock band.
Soon after their 1975 live album Alive! propelled the band to stardom, cementing them as one of the decade’s most flamboyant and successful rock acts, Ace Frehley took the mic for Shock Me as a lead vocalist in 1977. This song not only became one of the rock band’s iconic classics, but it also boosted Frehley’s confidence as both a singer and a songwriter.
In 1978, all four members of KISS decided to release self-titled solo albums simultaneously while still members of the rock band. Of the four, Frehley’s eponymous album, which featured the hit New York Groove, became the best-selling and reached the Top 20 on the U.S. charts. It remains a highlight of his discography and continues to generate royalties for him even decades later.
With the band, he successfully helped in revolutionizing music marketing, as the band turned its brand into everything – from action figures to even comic books. However, he then left the band in 1982 after a period of creative disagreements and his disillusionment with the band’s turn toward a younger, more commercial audience. Plus, he even struggled with substance abuse.
As he confessed later on, Ace Frehley actually walked away from a $15 million contract instead of remaining in KISS in 1982. He said (via Celebrity Net Worth),
I was mixed up. I believed that if I stayed in that group, I would have committed suicide. I’d be driving home from the studio, and I’d want to drive my car into a tree. I mean, I walked out on a $15 million contract. That would be like $100 million today. And my attorney was looking at me like, ‘What are you, crazy?’
Still, even though he left the band, the rockstar retained a 25% share in the group’s partnership until 1985, and earned royalties from albums like Lick It Up and Animalize.
In 1984, Frehley went on to launch his solo project, Frehley’s Comet. Signing with Megaforce Records, they released a self-titled album in 1987 that sold nearly half a million copies, before following with Second Sighting and Trouble Walkin’. But while they continued to release music, tour, and earn massive praise from fans, the band never achieved mainstream success.
More than a decade after his leaving KISS, the bandmates came back together for a 1995 MTV Unplugged reunion, which sparked a massive world tour a year later, featuring the original lineup in full makeup. This tour was so tremendously successful that it even earned a place among the highest-grossing ones of the decade, reintroducing the band to a new generation.
However, in 2002, he left the band once again, continuing to tour as a solo artist while Tommy Thayer began performing in his makeup and costume. He released multiple albums over the years, including Anomaly in 2009, Space Invader in 2014, and Spaceman in 2018. Even until shortly before his death, Ace Frehley performed live, closing most shows with his former band’s anthem Rock and Roll All Nite.
Talking about his real estate and financial issues, in February 2013, Frehley was reported to have lost his home in Yorktown, New York, to foreclosure. He reportedly failed to pay $735,000 in mortgage debt and 2 years of property taxes on the 3-acre estate. The bank cited unpaid interest and late fees, reflecting his long-documented financial instability and struggles with addiction, though he finally became sober in the mid-2000s.
Ace Frehley Called Himself “The most successful solo artist” Among the Founding Members of KISS
After performing in white-and-silver face makeup in KISS as the band sold millions of records during his two tenures with it, Ace Frehley passed away on Thursday in Morristown, N.J. He was 74. The cause of his death was revealed to be a recent fall at his home, as per a statement from his family (as reported by The New York Times).
Still, iconically enough, Frehley was ostensibly satisfied enough with his career, both as a bandmate as well as a solo artist. He once famously said, as quoted by Marca,
I’m an anomaly, I’m an un-schooled musician, I don’t know how to read music, but I’m one of the most famous guitar players in the world, so go figure.
Plus, as per The New York Times, he even bragged and claimed he was “the most successful solo artist” out of all the founding members of KISS. In an interview with Antihero in 2024, he said,
Out of the four founding members of Kiss, I definitely have been the most successful solo artist.
While that’s that, Ace Frehley’s other KISS bandmates’ respective net worths are as follows:
Still, Frehley’s comment might as well be accepted to be more or less true, since his single New York Groove was a Top 20 hit in 1978, and is now played at Citi Field after every New York Mets victory. Don’t you agree?
We extend our deepest condolences to Ace Frehley’s family and sincerely hope his soul rests in peace.
