Celebrity chef Guy Fieri may have a net worth of $70 million, but that doesn’t mean his two sons will feast on his fortune after he dies.
In an interview with Fox News, the Food Network’s highest-paid star and the man behind the Flavortown empire said that he told his sons, Hunter and Ryder, they would have to work hard for the money.
“I’ve told them the same thing my dad told me. My dad says, ‘When I die, you can expect that I’m going to die broke, and you’re going to be paying for the funeral.’ And I told my boys, ‘None of this that we’ve been…that I’ve been building are you going to get unless you come and take it from me,'” Fiery said.
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Instilling a strong work ethic
Fieri’s comments may seem harsh, but they reinforce his firm belief in a strong work ethic. Nothing ever came easy to Fieri, and he expects the same for his kids. Before Fieri won “Food Network Star” in 2006, he worked for a car parts manufacturer. He catapulted to fame with shows like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” due to his tireless pursuit of culinary perfection. The hair helped, too.
While some might assume that the children of a TV star would have an easy path laid out for them, Fieri has set a high bar for his children, expecting them to pursue higher education fervently. Instead of giving his 16-year-old son, Ryder, a fancy sports car for his birthday, he gave him the family minivan.
“I refuse to let him buy a car until he spends one year with no tickets, no accidents, driving the minivan,” Fieri told People.
The tough love approach seems to be resonating. His oldest son, Hunter, 27, has a contract with Food Network, is a top salesman for the family wine brand, and is advancing towards his master’s degree at the University of Nevada (where his dad went).
As for Ryder, he appreciates his father’s passion but wishes he’d turn down the heat a little.
“My youngest son, Ryder, is a senior in high school getting ready to graduate, or you know, going to graduate in the spring,” Fieri said. “And he’s like, ‘Dad, this is so unfair. I haven’t even gone to college yet, and you’re already pushing that I’ve got to get an MBA? Can I just get through college?'”
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