Celebrity chefs can make hundreds of thousands a year for their cooking, but there are actually 26 celebrity chefs who have earned millions in net worth due to their work.
Alan Wong
Alan Wong is an American chef who has a net worth of $1.1 billion dollars. This makes him the richest celebrity chef in the world at the moment. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Alan Wong graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. He then worked for many years at L’Auberge de l’Ill in Alsace, France. Upon returning to the United States, he began working as the executive chef at Canoe House on the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1995, he opened his first restaurant called Alan Wong’s Restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since then he has gone on to open two other restaurants and author two cookbooks. He also won a James Beard Award in 1996 and was named Best Chef in the Pacific Region by Food & Wine Magazine that same year.
Kimbal Musk
You may know him as Elon Musk’s brother, but Kimbal Musk is a lot more than that: he’s a self-taught chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. It all began when he was young and his parents were divorced—he took it upon himself to learn how to cook for his two younger brothers while they lived in South Africa (yes, the same place Elon was almost kidnapped). After moving to Canada, he went on to study business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Now Musk has cofounded The Kitchen Restaurant Group, The Kitchen Community in Colorado (a nonprofit focused on bringing gardens into schools), and Square Roots (which connects aspiring farmers with resources and helps them grow food). His net worth is estimated at $500 million dollars.
Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver is sitting on an estimated fortune of $300 million. The British chef, restaurateur, author and media personality rose to prominence in the late 1990s for his unconventional approach to preparing food. He has published over a dozen cookbooks and was a BBC television presenter for 15 years.
Oliver’s first job was at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant as a pastry chef. However, his passion for Italian cuisine led him to move back to London and study at Westminster Catering College under Michael Cavelle and Gennaro Contaldo. After graduating in 1994, he returned to complete his apprenticeship at The River Cafe in Fulham, where he worked under Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.
In 2005, Jamie began starring in Jamie’s Kitchen which led on the hugely popular series School Dinners which managed to get the government working towards better food standards in schools. His next show “The Naked Chef” took off around the world with more than 20 million people tuning into it every week!
Gordon Ramsey
You’re likely familiar with Chef Gordon Ramsay thanks to his many popular cooking shows.
He grew up in Scotland and then moved to London, where he began working at several restaurants and eventually opened his own.
Chef Ramsay has been quite the successful businessman, opening a number of restaurants in both the UK and the US. His net worth is $220 million and he has won numerous awards for his culinary skills. You may also know him from a recent appearance on ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.’
Nobu Matsuhisa
Nobu Matsuhisa, the 64-year-old chef and restauranteur, is best known for his high end Japanese restaurants. After training at a sushi counter in Tokyo as a young man he moved to Argentina to open his own restaurant but struggled with business. He eventually moved to California and worked in another, more successful Japanese restaurant that eventually led him to opening his own place which would become Nobu Malibu, one of the most popular restaurants on the West Coast.
With this success Nobu was able to expand his brand with other projects including cookbooks and appearances on television shows.
Matsuhisa’s net worth is now $200 million.
Wolfgang Puck
At the age of 14, Wolfgang Puck started his apprenticeship at a high-end hotel in Austria. He continued cooking in France, Switzerland and California before becoming the executive chef at Ma Maison restaurant in Los Angeles. He opened Spago restaurant in 1982 and there he became known for creating California cuisine. Since then he has opened dozens of restaurants worldwide and sells several lines of food products. Today, he is worth $120 million thanks to his successful culinary ventures.
Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray has a net worth of $100 million.
You might recognize her from the Food Network, where you’ll find her hosting a variety of shows, including 30 Minute Meals, Rachael’s Vacation, Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. It was the successful launch of 30 Minute Meals that launched the rest of her career. She has published multiple cookbooks and endorses products like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and Nabisco snack foods.
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse is one of the most famous chefs in the world, one of the richest celebrity chefs and a household name. He began his culinary career as a protégé of Paul Prudhomme and worked with some other big names at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. He went on to be the first celebrity chef to launch their own line of cookware and kitchen appliances, which are still sold today.
Emeril made his name with his television shows where he would often use the catchphrase “Bam!”. Most people know him through these shows where he taught home-cooks how to make gourmet quality food. Emeril’s restaurants have also been very successful, helping him earn an estimated net worth of $70 million.
Bobby Flay
Springing to fame after a series of successful Iron Chef challenges, Bobby Flay has become a household name in the culinary community. His net worth is estimated at $60 million, and that includes earnings from his chain of restaurants, including Mesa Grill and Bar Americain, as well as his TV shows such as Boy Meets Grill and Beat Bobby Flay.
In addition to the above ventures, he was also known for making several guest appearances on the hit show Law & Order: SVU. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.
Ina Garten
Ina Garten is the host of Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network, where she has shared her passion for food with viewers since 2002. She’s also published nine cookbooks and launched a line of products—the most recent being Ina’s Kitchen, a line of dry pantry goods that includes ingredients such as coffee beans and popcorn kernels. Her net worth is $60 million.
