Wolfgang Puck Net Worth

Wolfgang Puck is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $120 million. Renowned for blending classical French training with Californian and Asian influences, Puck is widely regarded as one of the most influential chefs in the world. Over the course of five decades, he has built a global culinary empire spanning fine dining restaurants, catering services, cookbooks, television shows, and consumer products.

Wolfgang Puck Net Worth	$120 Million
Date of Birth	July 8, 1949
Place of Birth	Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria
Profession	Chef, Restaurateur, and Entrepreneur

Table of Contents

Early Life

Wolfgang Puck was born Wolfgang Johannes Topfschnig on July 8, 1949, in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria. His mother was a pastry chef who inspired his early interest in food. After his parents divorced, he was adopted by his stepfather, Josef Puck, and grew up with two half-sisters and a half-brother. At 14, Puck began formal chef training under the legendary Raymond Thuilier at L’Oustau de Baumanière in Provence, later refining his skills at Hôtel de Paris in Monaco and Maxim’s in Paris. In 1973, he immigrated to the United States, working first at La Tour in Indianapolis before moving to Los Angeles to join Ma Maison, where he quickly gained recognition.

Career Breakthrough

Puck’s career transformed in the early 1980s when he published his first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen (1981). In 1982, he opened Spago on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The restaurant became an instant sensation, famous for its innovative menu that included dishes such as smoked salmon pizza. Spago’s success earned Puck multiple James Beard Awards and cemented his reputation as a pioneer of California cuisine. In 1997, he relocated Spago to Beverly Hills, where it continues to attract Hollywood’s elite.

Following Spago, Puck opened Chinois on Main in 1983, bringing Asian fusion flavors to Los Angeles, and Postrio in San Francisco in 1989. By the 1990s and 2000s, his restaurant empire expanded across Las Vegas, New York, London, Singapore, Istanbul, and other major cities, making Wolfgang Puck a global brand. His steakhouse CUT, opened in Beverly Hills in 2006, was named Esquire’s “Restaurant of the Year” after just one year.

Business Empire

Through Wolfgang Puck Companies, the chef oversees three major divisions: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. His businesses cover fine dining, casual restaurants, catering, packaged foods, cookware, and housewares. Puck’s catering division is especially notable, as it has handled prestigious events such as the Academy Awards Governors Ball for decades. His cookbooks and syndicated recipes have reached millions, while his media presence on shows like Top Chef, Good Morning America, and his Food Network program Wolfgang Puck expanded his influence far beyond the kitchen.

Awards and Recognition

Wolfgang Puck is a multiple-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, including Outstanding Chef of the Year in 1991 and 1998. Spago Beverly Hills and CUT Beverly Hills both hold Michelin stars, while his international restaurants, including CUT Singapore, have also received Michelin recognition. In 2013, Puck was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame, and in 2017, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Puck has been married three times. He first wed Marie France Trouillot in 1975, divorcing in 1980. He then married Barbara Lazaroff in 1983, with whom he shares two sons, Cameron and Byron. Lazaroff played a key role in designing the interiors of his restaurants and co-founded the Wolfgang Puck Brand before their divorce in 2003. In 2007, Puck married designer Gelila Assefa, with whom he has two sons, Alexander and Oliver. Beyond his businesses, Puck is active in philanthropy, co-founding the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982 to benefit Meals on Wheels programs in Los Angeles.

Real Estate and Wealth

Wolfgang Puck has invested heavily in real estate. In 2013, he and Gelila purchased Villa Les Violettes, a 12,289-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles, for $14 million. The estate features eight bedrooms, a tennis court, spa, pool, and library. He also previously owned a Beverly Hills property bought in 2003 for $3.675 million, which he later listed for $8.495 million in 2015.