Highest-Paid Chefs 2012 – Richest Chefs

According to Forbes, Bad boy celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay is the highest paid chef as of 2012, with total earnings of $38 million between 2011 to 2012. Ramsay is the host of “Hell’s Kitchen” and owns 23 restaurants. Rachael Ray came in second with $25 million and Wolfgang Puck out the list’s top three with $20 million .

The Forbes’ 2012 ranking features many popular names like Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri. According to the magazine, factors such as television, cookbooks and merchandising helped the increased of their incomes. But there others like chef Alain Ducasse who has a massive empire without the boost of reality-television fame.

Here’s the FORBES ranking of 2012 top-10 earners:

1: Gordon Ramsay, $38 million
2: Rachael Ray, $25 million
3: Wolfgang Puck, $20 million
4: Paula Deen, $17 million
5: Mario Batali, $13 million
6: Alain Ducasse, $12 million
7: Todd English, $11 million
8: Nobu Matsuhisa, $10 million
9: Bobby Flay, $9 million
10: Guy Fieri, $8 million