Top 10 Most Expensive Chefs In The World

One of the benefits of hiring a private chef is enjoying sumptuous and delicious meals, they offer convenience and help you save time and money. This is however one of the luxuries only rich people enjoy as it requires a fortune to hire some of the best chefs in the world. We have compiled a list of the 10 most expensive chefs in the world to show how ridiculously expensive these things can be.

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1. Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver is the most expensive chef in the world, charging as much as $500,000 per event. The British chef is arguably the most iconic chef in the world. He has prepared meals for the British Prime Minister and has hosted several cooking-related TV programs, most notably The Naked Chef in the UK.

He is also the founder of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, a restaurant chain with a specialization in Italian food. The company formerly boasted over 40 sites but filed for bankruptcy in 2018. In June 2003, Oliver was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for “services to the hospitality industry”

2. Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray is one of the most prominent chefs in the United States. Since 2005, viewers have been watching Rachael Ray, her daytime cooking and discussion show. She has presented numerous spin-off shows, including Rachael’s Tasty Travels, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, and $40 a day.

Rachael is one of the most expensive chefs in the world, with her service charge ranging from $150,000 to $300,000. Aside from her television popularity, Racheal has written several cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006.

3. Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsey is one of the most well-known chefs on TV, particularly for his scathing remarks to the characters on his television program Hell’s Kitchen. He is one of the most expensive chefs in the world, reportedly charging $200,000 for private bookings.

Even though Ramsay is most recognized for his television programs, his talents as a Michelin-starred chef are what initially made him a well-known chef. Since 2001, his most renowned restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, in London, has been a Michelin 3-starred establishment. His restaurants obtained a total of 16 Michelin Stars.

4. Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagassé III is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author, and National Best Recipe award winner for his “Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili” recipe in 2003. He is one of the most expensive chefs in the world, charging as much as $100,000 for private bookings.

He has appeared on a wide variety of cooking TV shows, including the long-running Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril, and is a regional James Beard Award winner, known for his mastery of Creole and Cajun cuisine and his self-developed “New New Orleans” style.

5. Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri is an American restaurateur, author, and Emmy Award-winning television presenter. He also owns three restaurants in California and does private bookings for as low as $100,000, making him one of the most expensive chefs in the world.

Like many chefs on this list, Guy is also popular on Television. Known for hosting various television series on the Food Network, popularly  Guy’s Grocery Games and Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. Due to his engaging demeanor, he even hosted the non-cooking television game show Minute To Win It for two seasons.

6. Thomas Keller

Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He is the sixth most expensive chef in the world, charging a total of $75,000 for private bookings. According to reports, Keller is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous three-star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants.

He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997. The restaurant is a perennial winner in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.

7. Wolfgang Puck

Wolfgang Puck is one of the most successful restauranteurs and one of the most expensive chefs in the world. He founded numerous businesses to share his culinary talents, including Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.

But Puck isn’t all business; he has also made appearances on numerous TV programs but can also cook privately for $75,000. He has appeared on cooking competition TV shows such as Celebrity Cooking Showdown, Iron Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and Top Chef.

8. Masaharu Morimoto

Masaharu Morimoto is a Japanese chef, best known as an Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show Iron Chef and its spinoff Iron Chef America. With a service charge of $50,000 for private booking, Masaharu takes the eighth place among the most expensive chefs in the world

Aside from being popular on TV, Masaharu has several restaurant ideas spread around the United States, Canada, and Asia. Since then, he has added other outlets in Napa Valley and New York City. He is popularly known for his unique style of presenting food.

9. Bobby Flay

With a service charge of $50,000 per booking, American Iconic Chef, Bobby Flay takes ninth place among the most expensive chefs in the world. He is is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants and franchises, such as Bobby’s Burger Palace and the Mesa Grill.

Bobby Flay has worked with Food Network since 1995, which won him four Daytime Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has also appeared as a guest actor in a few TV shows, including Entourage and Law & Order: SVU.

10. David Chang

David Chang, with a service charge of $50,000 concludes the list of the most expensive chefs in the world. Chang is an American restaurateur and television personality. He hosted and appeared on numerous TV  shows. He served as a guest judge on the reality show Top Chef: All Stars and MasterChef Australia.

Chang is the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group. He also co-founded the influential food magazine Lucky Peach in 2011 which lasted for 25 quarterly volumes into 2017. He serves on the Food Council at City Harvest and the Culinary Council at Food Bank for New York City.