Here's How Much Graham Elliot Is Actually Worth

Graham Elliot has experienced highs and lows over his career. A former Iron Chef contestant and holder of two Michelin stars, the man with the signature white-rimmed glasses is well-known for his culinary prowess and his stints as a judge on MasterChef, MasterChef Jr. and Top Chef (via Chicago Gourmet). However, he's also associated with one of the biggest scandals in the history of both Top Chef and Food Network, courtesy of a 2012 lawsuit in which he was accused of a tip pooling scheme that caused loss of income to his waiting staff. 

Elliot settled the lawsuit that same year, and appears to have avoided scandals since. With a combination of an esteemed restaurant career and frequent TV appearances, one would think that he's also been able to amass a pretty nice fortune over his years in the business. Still, the restaurant business is a volatile one, and the entertainment business doubly so. Let's see how much Elliot is actually worth. 

While Elliot can't exactly go around buying jets and supercars as he pleases, there's no denying that his career as a celebrity chef has earned him a pretty nice nest egg. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Elliot's estimated earnings hover somewhere around $1.5 million, which is certainly enough to keep him in those white-rimmed glasses for the foreseeable future. It's always tough to estimate a person's income sources without intimate knowledge of their finances, but it's probably safe to assume that a good bunch of Elliot's money comes from his career as a high-profile chef, as well as his judging stints on various cooking shows.

According to the chef's official website, he has also worked as the culinary director of Chicago's legendary Lollapalooza festival since 2009, where he's cooked for some of the world's most famous bands and artists. In fact, he has such a good relationship with Chicago that the city actually has an official Graham Elliot Day (Sept. 19, in case you're curious). Oh, and he cooked for Barack Obama for his 49th birthday. With a reputation and connections like that, one can't help but feel that Elliot's going to have plenty more lucrative opportunities in the future. In fact, his current net worth might only be the beginning.