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Being a high-profile chef is the dream of many professionals. It means that your name will become a brand itself and you will have a new status. Surprisingly, the highest-earning chefs in the world are not the Michellin stars, but successful entrepreneurs.

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Those chefs know how to make their image appealing to the public. Their fortune is not only based on cooking but on licensing products, releasing books, opening restaurant chains and hosting television shows. It is a challenging business, that demands a lot of time and dedication.

However, some names have suffered a significant financial loss due to scandals. Keep scrolling and find out who are the wealthiest chefs in the world.

Ana Quincoces - $8 million

Ana Quicoces has a net worth evaluated on $8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Like other names on this list, Quincoces has many endeavors. She is a TV star, a Lawyer and, of course, a Chef.

Quincoces is from Miami, but she is specialized in Cuban cuisine. Her parents are immigrants from the Caribean island, so she feels related to everything related to Cuba. She became a household name thanks to the Real Housewives of Miami and now she is often on the Food Network. The chef also owns the Skinny Latina, a multimillionaire company.

Paula Deen - $14 million

Paula Deen is a household name as has a net worth evaluated to be $14 million. She has several cookbooks and also two restaurants, in a partnership with her two sons.

However, her net worth could be much higher if her name wasn't involved in serious scandals. In 2013, she was accused of racism. As a result, several brands she had a deal with decided to terminate their contract. Although she is still having fans and tried a comeback with a new book, her image never recovered from the negative impact of the scandals.

Nigella Lawson - $20 million

Nigella Lawson became a celebrity chef in 1998 when she released her first book How to Eat. Before that, she was a journalist who is specialized in writing restaurant reviews.

From the moment she released the book, everything changed. Lawson became a television personality, wrote for several newspapers, also wrote more books. Her life also got under the spotlight: her marriage and her divorce made headlines for months. The experience was traumatic, and she never gives interviews about her personal life.

Nigella Lawson has a net worth evaluated to be $20 million.

Mario Batali - $25 million

Mario Batali has a net worth evaluated at $25 million. Similar to other names.on this list, Batali has many endeavors. He is a chef, writer, television personality and also has several restaurants.

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However, he might lose part of his fortune due to the last scandals his name was involved. In 2018 four women accused the chef of sexual misconduct. His products were removed from the shelves and Batali also announced he would exit several of his business.

Ina Garten - $50 million

When we see Ina Garten hosting her show The Barefoot Contessa, on Food Network, we feel like we are watching an old friend. Her show has the same name as the shop he had for almost two decades.

This sense of familiarity makes her one of the most famous names on the broadcast and also helped to promote her other projects, like cooking books - 11 so far. Garten has a net worth evaluated to be $50 million.

However, Gart doesn't like to watch herself on television. "I sometimes watch it for content, but it's just painful!", she said on HuffPost. "I couldn't even tell you what I'm most self-critical about — it's everything! I just keep thinking, What were you thinking when you said that? or, You forgot to say this!"

Emeril Lagasse - $70 million

Emeril Lagasse was almost omnipresent on Food Network. The chef and television star had to work hard and not all his endeavors were successful.

"I was one of the first ten employees hired at the Food Network, so we kind of started the network," he told GQ. "And it didn't start out very well—I had a couple of flop shows."

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As we know, the 'flop shows' were an exception in his career. Emeril had some successful shows, but also restaurants and he also owns the Emeril Empire. His net worth is evaluated to be $70 million.

Rachael Ray - $80 million

According to Rachael Ray, she grew up in a kitchen. "My first vivid memory is watching my mom in a restaurant kitchen," the chef told Food Network. "She was flipping something with a spatula. I tried to copy her and ended up grilling my right thumb! I was 3 or 4."

So it is no surprise cooking became a way of making a living. Ray is a successful TV star, has several books published and has a lifestyle magazine. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rachel Ray has an $80 million net worth.

Wolfgang Puck - $90 million

Wolfgang Puck has a net worth evaluated at $90 million according to celebrity net worth. The Austrian Chef has more than 20 restaurants in Europe, America, and Asia. He also has a successful line of licensed products with his name and cooking books published.

After decades in this business, he is still eager to learn and open to new things. "Longevity means we have to evolve, that we have to change and be able to change," he told Forbes Magazine. "Even if you're very successful and say everything is fine you have to look forward and ask what can we do better and how we can change. "

Gordon Ramsay - $220 million

Gordon Ramsay was the only Chef to make it into the Celebrity 100 from Forbes. Gordon raked 35 among the wealthiest celebrities in the world. According to the publication, he made $62 million in the last year. He was a net worth evaluated at $220 million.

The British Chef has 35 restaurants all over the world. He is also the star of popular reality shows like Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef.

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Ramsey might not be on the top of this list yet, but he will probably be. This year he closed a deal with Lion Capital and they will open 100 restaurants in the U.S. in the coming five years.

Jamie Oliver - $400 million

Jamie Oliver is the wealthiest Chef in the world. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Oliver has a fortune evaluated at $400 million. He became famous during the late '90s when he showed his cooking skills on television when he was 23 years old. People loved his cool and youthful looks and the fresh air he brought into television cooking. Since then, he became a household name and created his empire.

Jamie Oliver made is fortune appearing on TV shows all over the world. He also has a successful Italian restaurant chain, has thousands of licensed kitchen products and has published nearly 30 cookbooks.

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