Estimated Net Worth: $300 million
Restaurant: River Cafe
As Seen On: The Naked Chef
Even if you have never tuned into a cooking show in your life, chances are you have still come across the name Jamie Oliver. The British chef and restauranteur is known for his organic Italian-style cooking. He was educated at Westminster Kingsway College and began his career as a pastry chef under Antonio Carluccio. He then moved on to London’s top restaurant, The River Cafe as the head chef.
The leap to TV was thanks to fellow chef Patricia Llewellyn, who discovered Oliver’s screen-worthy charisma. She was an executive at a TV production company named Optomen. The company agreed to tape a pilot for the show “The Naked Chef.” The move resulted in total success and thus Oliver’s BBC cooking show was born. The British chef used the profits to release a cookbook. It was a total hit.
Guy Fieri
Estimated Net Worth: $8.5 million
Restaurant: Johnny Garlic’s
As Seen On: Celebrity Cook-Off
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Guy Fieri has been in the spotlight for years. With a few Emmy wins to his name and three California-based restaurants, Fieri is one of the world's best-known TV personalities out there. His name is so huge it's been even licensed to restaurants in Las Vegas and New York City.
The cook has also hosted multiple shows on the Food Network and has even emerged as the face of the channel. It must be that signature peroxide blond spike hair that makes him pretty unforgettable. His biggest claim to fame, however, was on the Celebrity Cook-Off.
Bobby Flay
Estimated Net Worth: $30 million
Restaurant: Mesa Grill
As Seen On: Great Chefs
French Culinary Institute graduate Bobby Flay is a Food Network favorite. The New York City-born chef specializes in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. His cooking style is both Mexican and Southwestern, (even though he himself is a fourth-generation Irish American). Flay has opened eateries all across the U.S. — all of them under his name.
His restaurants around the country include the popular Las Vegas establishment Mesa Grill, Bar American, Bobby Flay Steak, Gato, and Bobby's Burger Palace which is a chain across eleven different states. Aside from cooking, Flay likes to take to the tracks and racehorses.
Giada De Laurentiis
Estimated Net Worth: $20 million
Restaurant: GDL Foods
As Seen On: Giada at Home
A Cordon Bleu gem, Giada De Laurentiis was born in Rome. Already a point if you're entering the world of food. She grew up cooking at home with her family, picking up her now-signature tricks. Those skills she honed in her early years took her all the way to culinary stardom. To top it all off, she has written several cookbooks, all about authentic Italian food (very much inspired by her grandmother!)
Her Food Network’s show is the ever-famous "Giada at Home." The talented Italian cook has also co-hosted "The Today Show" on a number of occasions and is the founder of her very own catering company. Sounds delicious!
Gordon Ramsay
Estimated Net Worth: $190 million
Restaurant: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
As Seen On: Hell’s Kitchen
The bad boy of kitchens, Scottish-born chef Gordon Ramsay is known for his culinary expertise and mean on-screen TV personality. Ramsay's restaurants have received a total of seventeen Michelin stars overall. That is mighty impressive! His most popular restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, located in Chelsea, has gotten three Michelin stars in the past couple of decades or so.
Gordon made his first TV appearance on the BBC cooking series called "Boiling Point" in 1998 — a stint that earned him the spotlight in the on-screen cooking scene. Currently, he now hosts his "Hell’s Kitchen" and the "MasterChef" series, where he is recognized for his sharp wit and harsh no-nonsense attitude.