Mr. Burns

The 156-year-old nuclear tycoon who remembers nothing but his own greed.

Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns is the main antagonist of The Simpsons and the reviled owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Voiced initially by Christopher Collins and later by Harry Shearer, he stands as a grotesque stereotype of corporate America, driven by an unquenchable desire for wealth and power. A figure of extreme age—often cited as 156 years old with birthplace Pangea—he embodies a living relic of the Jazz Age, frequently referencing obsolete technology and forgotten cultural touchstones. Assisted at all times by his sycophantic aide Waylon Smithers, Burns is Springfield's richest citizen, wielding $1.3 billion in fluctuating assets to manipulate local authorities and ignore safety regulations while remaining oblivious to the town's deep-seated hatred for him.

Quick Facts

Series

The Simpsons

Gender

Male

First major

"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"

First date

December 17, 1989

Creator

Matt Groening
David Silverman
George Meyer

Designer

Matt Groening

Based on

Barry Diller & praying mantis (likeness); Lionel Barrymore & Ronald Reagan (voice)

Voice

Christopher Collins (1989–1990); Harry Shearer (1990–present)

Lore & Background

Born on Pangea, Burns emerged from a wealthy family of eleven children as the sole survivor after his siblings met suspicious ends involving poisoned baked potatoes. He attended Yale University in 1914, joining Skull and Bones and competing in "etherweight" wrestling before leaving to live with a heartless billionaire grandfather who owned an "atom mill." His military service included time in the Flying Hellfish squad under Master Sergeant Abraham Simpson during the Battle of the Bulge, where they secured a stolen German portrait.

Later, he served as a co-pilot with Abe and his brother Cyrus in the Pacific Theater before being shot down by a kamikaze. In a twist of historical absurdity, Burns was personally hired by President Harry S. Truman to transport a trillion-dollar bill for European reconstruction, only to abscond with it until losing it to Fidel Castro. His personal life includes three failed engagements—to Gertrude (who died of rabies), Marge's mother Jacqueline Bouvier, and meter maid Gloria—as well as a brief relationship with Larry Burns, his adopted son.

Reader's Guide

To navigate the world of Mr. Burns, one must understand his reliance on outdated conventions and his complete detachment from modern reality. He answers phones with "Ahoy-hoy," a salutation proposed by Alexander Graham Bell, and his investment portfolio includes defunct entities like "Confederated Slave Holdings." His age is fluid; while he claimed to be 81 in one episode, another established that half his age is 78, making him 156. He frequently references the Siege of Khartoum (1884) and believes a nickel buys a steak, pie, coffee, cheesecake, newsreel, and trolley ride. His residence, Burns Manor, sits on Mammon and Croesus Streets, protected by electrified fences and vicious dogs known as "The Hounds." Despite his villainous status—ranked #2 by TV Guide and #8 by Rolling Stone—he remains a complex figure whose longevity is both a source of humor and a barrier to human connection.

Did You Know?

Mr. Burns was born on the supercontinent Pangea, revealed in the Season 17 episode "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story".
His current net worth has been cited as $1.3 billion by Forbes, though it fluctuates wildly depending on the episode.
His mother is still alive at age 122 and refers to him as an "improvident lackwit" due to her affair with President William Howard Taft.