EXCLUSIVE: 'I Was Guns N' Roses' Former Manager — And Axl Rose is a Greedy Egomaniac Responsible for the Band's Downfall'
Guns N' Roses' ex-manager says Axl Rose, left, is a greedy egomaniac who caused the band's downfall.
May 16 2025, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Rocker Axl Rose is a greedy egomaniac who blew up his band Guns N’ Roses by gobbling half of the group’s profits while demanding that the other members follow tyrannical rules, slams the former manager of the once-hot band, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Alan Niven managed the hard-charging L.A. firestorm when they were once seen as the next Led Zeppelin in the late 1980s heyday, and blames the renegade, self-promoting frontman for its flameout.
"This is what I can't forgive," Niven said – adding Rose takes 50 percent of the take of Guns N' Roses now.
He raged: "Fifty percent, okay? That, to me, is anathema. He is not Guns N' Roses. They were five individuals. It was a chemistry."
The Roses lost their spark as Axl Rose seized control and sidelined the original line-up, the ex-boss says.
Niven recalled when the band's smash 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction, became one of the best sellers of all time – but in the past 34 years, the group has released just one album of cover songs, and one that featured only Rose as an original member.
"Everything – all the time – was ego," he added, also fuming: "Axl took what they got, and he blew it."
Niven said former members Duff McKagan and guitarist Slash tried to get guitarist Izzy Stradlin and bassist Rose to reunite with the band in 2016 – only to have their efforts foiled by the Chinese Democracy rocker's ego.
Rose's dominance fractured Guns, leaving behind a legacy of ego and missed potential according to their former manager.
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"They went and had a jam in Florida, but they figured out nothing's really changed," said Niven.
He added: "Duff and Slash get what the fans want, but Axl just wants to cash in."
"They can't stand Axl, and they don’t talk to him. They're just there for the money."
"It's a tragedy. I don't think fans realize how good Guns N' Roses was and how great they could have been. The band's legacy and the heights it could have reached."
