Ina Garten is arguably one of the most famous—and beloved—celebrity chefs in the world. Although the bestselling cookbook author and The Barefoot Contessa star is an expert in the kitchen now, she had a very unconventional path on her way to becoming a professional chef. Through her unexpected journey to kitchen stardom, the 71-year-old has amassed a significant net worth.
Believe it or not, Ina’s first career was pretty much the polar opposite of whipping up decadent meals for a living—she worked in finance. Specifically, she held a position in the Office of Management and Budget at the White House in 1978 during Jimmy Carter’s administration. Even at the time, Ina knew she was destined "to do something more creative and fun than writing nuclear energy budgets," she pens in her blog. One day she came across an advertisem*nt in the New York Times for a speciality food store for sale in the Hamptons. After deciding to check out the shop with her husband, Jeffrey, "it was love at first sight." With no business experience to her name, Ina made an offer on the shop with money she made flipping houses in Washington D.C., according to the Washington Post. Soon after, Ina was the proud owner of the The Barefoot Contessa.
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The store was a huge success, and after 18 years of running the store, Ina sold it to its manager and its chef. Starting in 1996, she began writing cookbooks, and The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, released in 1999, became a best-seller, soon making her a household name. Ina credits its success to the hands-on approach she took to creating it; she told Forbes she hired her own photographer and publicist for it.
Her successful cookbooks led to her Food Network show in 2002, The Barefoot Contessa, which has been a hit. "I do the TV because it's an important part of the business, but it's the cookbooks I love writing,” she told Forbes. She’s also hosted Cook Like a Pro on the network. Previously, according to a 2013 book about the network, Ina apparently tried to sell a cooking show to Martha Stewart Living and shot pilot episodes, but Stewart ended up nixing the project.
Only Ina and her accountant know her net worth for sure, but various sites have estimated that Ina is pulling in big bucks. Celebritynetworth.com estimates her net worth at $50 million, thanks to her Food Network show, cookbooks, grocery line, and merchandise.
Ina husband, Jeffrey, is also a financial powerhouse. According to Celebritynetworth.com, Jeffrey is worth $100 million, mostly thanks to his former jobs as managing director of Lehman Brothers and Blackstone Group. Previously, Jeffrey worked in economic policy during the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations, and is now an author and professor at the Yale School of Management.
Ina and Jeffrey also own some impressive real estate. In 2016, Forbes reported that they bought a $4.65 million apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in NYC. She recently posted on Instagram about a new custom Lacanche range she installed there, which costs $15,000.
In 2017, they put a second New York City apartment in the area up for sale for $1.975 million. Their primary residence is in East Hampton, New York, where Ina films her television show. They have expanded and renovated their property several times over the years, but it’s clear it’s where they call home—and where Ina makes her impressive living.
