Wolfgang Puck is one of the world’s most well-known and successful chefs. He founded and owns a number of high-end restaurants, catering services, cookbooks, and kitchen goods.
He is also a television host, actor, and philanthropist. He is most known for his house-smoked salmon pizza and for catering the Academy Awards for over 20 years.
Wolfgang Puck Net Worth
Wolfgang Puck is a wealthy Austrian chef and restaurateur with a net worth of $120 million.
Puck, an internationally renowned chef, restaurateur, businessman, author, and actor, is the mastermind behind a massive cooking empire that includes books, more than 20 restaurants, celebrity catering services (including the Academy Awards), and a variety of packaged foods and cooking-related goods.
Wolfgang has grown from a curious youngster learning to cook from his mother, a part-time pastry chef, into a true celebrity chef to rival all others.
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Early Life and Education
Wolfgang Puck was born on July 8, 1949, in Sankt Veit a der Glan, Austria, as Wolfgang Johannes Topfschnig. Maria, his mother, was a pastry cook, and Josef, his father, was a coal miner who adopted him after marrying his mother.
He is the youngest of three siblings, with two sisters and one brother. Wolfgang’s interest in cooking began at a young age, when he observed and assisted his mother in the kitchen.
Despite his father’s displeasure, he opted to become a professional chef. He did not attend culinary school, but instead apprenticed under various chefs in France and Monaco. He mastered French cooking techniques and talents, which he later adapted into his own style.
Career and Achievements
Wolfgang immigrated to the United States in 1973, when he was 24 years old. In Los Angeles, he worked as a chef and part owner of Ma Maison, a French restaurant.
He rose to prominence after publishing his first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, based on his Ma Maison recipes, in 1981.
In 1982, he founded his own restaurant, Spago, on the Sunset Strip, which quickly became a celebrity hangout.
He served inventive dishes that fused California, French, and fusion cuisines, such as his signature house-smoked salmon pizza. Spago was eventually relocated to Beverly Hills, where it earned two Michelin stars and other awards.
Wolfgang expanded his culinary empire by opening over 100 fine dining and casual restaurants worldwide, including Chinois, Postrio, Cut, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, and The Source. He also founded Wolfgang Puck Catering, which provides cuisine and service for important events such as the Academy Awards, Governors Ball, and Emmy Awards.
Wolfgang has dabbled in the media and entertainment industries, working as a television host and actor. Wolfgang Puck, his own food show, earned a Daytime Emmy Award in 2002.
He also appeared as a guest or judge on a number of television shows, including Iron Chef America, Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and The Simpsons. He has played himself in films including The Smurfs, The Weather Man, and The Muse.
Wolfgang is also a successful author and businessman, having written several cookbooks including Wolfgang Puck Makes It Healthy, Wolfgang Puck Pizza, Pasta, and More, and Wolfgang Puck Adventures in the Kitchen. He also developed and marketed his own brand of kitchen equipment, including cookware, cutlery, appliances, and food.
Wolfgang is also a philanthropist and humanitarian who contributes to a variety of causes and charities. In 1982, he co-founded the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation, which hosts the annual American Wine & Food Festival to support Meals on Wheels.
He also contributes to the Keep Memory Alive Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Cancer Society, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Personal Life and Family
Wolfgang has four children and has been married three times. In 1975, he married Marie France Trouillot, whom he divorced in 1980. In 1983, he married his second wife, Barbara Lazaroff, and they had two boys, Cameron and Byron.
In 2003, they divorced. In 2007, he married his third wife, designer Gelila Assefa, and they produced two additional boys, Oliver and Alexander.
Wolfgang became a citizen of the United States in 1999. His wife and children live in Los Angeles, California. Macarons are his favorite cuisine, and his life slogan is “Live, love, eat!”
Height, Weight, and Age
Wolfgang stands 5’8″ (173 cm) tall and weighs 163 pounds (74 kg). He was born on July 8, 1949, and is 74 years old as of 2023.
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