There are many newcomers in the celebrity chef world, but very few originals who helped define it. Gordon Ramsay is definitely one of them. If someone decided to construct a Mount Rushmore of celebrity chefs, Ramsay’s chiseled facial profile would definitely be carved in stone.
He’s had an interesting journey, so let’s see how Ramsay reached the top of the mountain and how he managed to build a net worth of $220 million!
Early Life
Ramsay was born in Scotland, in 1966 in Renfrewshire. He was raised in England, though, and some of his rough ways can be traced back to growing up in a tough household. His father wasn’t exactly the best role model to look up to.
He started his culinary career in the early 80s, working at the Wroxton House Hotel and the Wickham Arms. After that he moved to London and worked at a series of restaurants, and he eventually moved to France to study French cuisine from Albert Roux, a noted chef.
He was also mentored by Guy Savoy, and after a stretch working as a personal chef in Bermuda, he returned to London and became the head chef at the Rossmore, a job that also came with a 10 percent share of the business.
The Growth Game
Ramsay quickly capitalized on that ownership share, starting a chain of restaurants that spread to Glasgow, Ireland, Dubai, Tokyo, New York and LA.
He started his TV career in 2001 on a series called Faking It, where he helped a burger flipper learn the trade. That episode won an award, and in 2010 Ramsay started a US version of MasterChef, where he appeared as a judge and acted as a producer.
Ramsay also wrote books. Lots of books. Over 20 at last count, two of which are autobiographies about his career as a chef and restaurateur.
Unique Style
To say that Gordon Ramsay is direct would be an understatement of epic proportions. He’s known for his abrasive style, which includes criticizing anyone and everyone in sight, and pontificating about restaurants and the state of the culinary industry.
Ramsay does have a social conscience, though. In 2010 he joined several other celebrity chefs on a series called “The Big Fish Fight,” where he raised awareness about the needless discarding of hundreds of thousands of saltwater fish.
The wealth he has accumulated over the years is undoubtedly impressive, to say the least. Ramsay’s per-episode salary is $225,000 for one of his reality shows, and at this point he’d done four of those for Fox. He also has an LA mansion that’s worth $6.75 million, as well as a home in London and another seaside house in the English town of Fowey.
Personal Life
Despite his flamboyant style and caustic ways, Ramsay’s life has been remarkably stable. He married Cayetana Elizabeth Hutcheson, a Montessori-trained schoolteacher, in 1996, and the couple has raised four children together.
Presumably Ramsay does all the cooking not handled by their personal chef, and when he doesn’t like the food he manages to be somewhat less nasty in voicing his opinions and criticism.
