Gordon Ramsay is one of the wealthiest chefs in the world, with a net worth estimated at around $54 million, comparable to that of Beyoncé, according to Forbes.
In a recent interview, the “MasterChef” and “Hell’s Kitchen” host stated that he doesn’t spoil his children and plans to keep most of his fortune away from them when he passes. “It’s definitely not going to them, and that’s not in a mean way; it’s to not spoil them,” Ramsay told the Telegraph. He added that he and his wife Tana have agreed to provide a 25 percent deposit on a flat for them, but not the entire purchase.
Now 50, Ramsay has three daughters and a son, all of whom he has taught to cook as a valuable life skill, though he emphasizes it’s not necessarily meant to be a career. He rarely takes them to fine-dining restaurants, not even those he owns.
“I’ve never been really turned on about the money,” Ramsay explained. “That’s not my number one objective, and that’s reflected in how the kids are brought up.”
He joins a growing list of wealthy celebrities who have chosen to limit their children’s inheritance, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, George Lucas, and Sting.
Ramsay also enforces strict rules about his children enjoying the luxuries associated with his wealth. Reflecting on his tough upbringing—his father was an alcoholic and Ramsay left home at 16—he stated, “They don’t sit with us in first class. They haven’t worked anywhere near hard enough to afford that. At that age, you’re telling me they need to sit in first class? No, they do not. We’re really strict on that.”
He further emphasized this by sharing, “I turn left with Tana and they turn right, and I tell the chief stewardess, ‘Make sure those little f—— don’t come anywhere near us; I want to sleep on this plane.’ I worked my f—— arse off to sit that close to the pilot, and you appreciate it more when you’ve grafted for it.”