Marcus Samuelsson Net Worth, Age, Height, Wealth (Updated 2022)

Marcus Samuelsson is a celebrated restaurateur, chef and cookbook author. He is also a regular judge on some of the television cooking shows. Marcus has an estimated net worth of $6 million, coming from the restaurants he owns all across the USA, his cookbook sales and the regular appearances he makes on many different shows. Marcus has gained additional popularity after becoming a part of so many TV shows. He is a very talented man with exceptional culinary skills and he has used them to build a luxurious life for himself. Apart from being a chef and restaurateur, Samuelsson also earns a good income from being a guest lecturer at Umea University.

How Did Marcus Samuelsson Become Rich?

Marcus Samuelsson whose real name is Kassahun Tsegie was born on January 25, 1971, in Ethiopia. Marcus’ father was a priest in an Ethiopian Church. Marcus lost his mother to tuberculosis when he was an infant of three. In 1974 when the Ethiopian Civil War was going on, Marcus and Linda were separated from their parents. Later a Swedish couple named Lennart Samuelsson and Ann Marie adopted them. After the siblings were adopted they were renamed as Marcus Samuelsson and Linda Samuelsson.

Marcus got interested in cooking from a young age. To hone his cooking skills, Marcus went to the Culinary Institute of Gothenburg. Marcus began his career working as an apprentice in the Aquavit restaurant in the United States. He was soon made the executive chef of the Aquavit restaurant. When Marcus was as young as twenty-four, New York Times rated him with three-star, making him the youngest chef to be rated three stars. Marcus was also recognized as the Best Chef in New York City by The James Beard Foundation in 2003.

With the success he achieved in a short time, Marcus started his restaurant called “Riingo” in New York City. Marcus also started his television show named “Inner Chef” which was released on the Discovery Home Channel. In the year 2010, Marcus opened another restaurant, named “Red Rooster” in Harlem. The restaurant has since then hosted many international dignitaries including leaders like Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh. In 2015 Marcus inaugurated another restaurant, called “Marcus“, in collaboration with Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Later in 2017, he opened another restaurant, “Marcus B&P“, in New Jersey. At present Marcus owns twelve restaurants all over the United States.

Along with being a chef and restaurateur, Marcus is also an author. He has written many award-winning cookbooks, including Aquavit,  The New Scandinavian Cuisine, The Soul of a New Cuisine, Street Food, En Smakresa Middagstips and many more. Marcus has also authored biographies/cookbooks Make it Messy: My Perfectly Imperfect Life and Yes, Chef: A memoir.

Furthermore, Marcus has appeared on many television shows, like Iron Chef America, Chopped, Top Chef, The Today Show and The Dylan Ratigan Show. He has also judged some of the television cooking shows such as Momma Throws Down, Chopped, Chopped Junior, Star Plates, Cooks vs. Cons and others. Marcus was also seen in the reality TV series Undercover Boss in 2017. In this show, Marcus mentored aspiring culinary talents. Marcus was also one of the casts in the movie Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost. He hosted and produced the show No Passport Required which is dedicated to celebrating immigrant culture and food in the USA. Marcus also appeared on the show Urban Cuisine on the BET J network.

Marcus Samuelsson is a successful chef and restaurateur and has become quite famous after becoming a part of many television shows. Marcus earns a good fortune from his restaurants, the sale of his books and his show appearances. Apart from this, he also earns an income by being a guest lecturer of Culinary Arts at the Umeå University. He also serves as an advisor to The Institute of Culinary Education, New York. In 2010, Marcus participated in the TV show Top Chef Masters which he won and was awarded $115,000. In 2012, he won the TV series Chopped All-Stars and was awarded $50,000. All this has contributed to Marcus’ net worth of around $6 million.

Marcus Samuelsson on “Tasty” YT channel

Marcus is dedicated and enthusiastic about what he does and this has led him to make a lucrative career.

What Is Marcus Samuelsson Net Worth?

As of 2023, Marcus Samuelsson net worth is calculated to be around $6 million. He is considered the top chef in the United States. He has been a very successful chef and restaurateur, working as the executive chef at Red Rooster Harlem and owning twelve restaurants. Marcus has used his exceptional culinary skills to build a successful life for himself. He earns a good fortune from his eateries, his appearances on very many shows and the sales of his books.

It is said that Samuelsson’s restaurant group was generating somewhere around $75 million in annual income before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic hit the world. Though the pandemic has done damage to the business, Samuelsson is still going strong in his business.

How Marcus Samuelsson Spends His Money?

From being born into a poor family that lived in a hut and being separated from his parents when he was just three, Marcus has been through a lot of difficulties in life. In an interview, Marcus said that he came to New York with just $300 but now he has established himself as the top chef in the USA. Marcus owns a house in Harlem, not very far from his restaurant, Red Rooster. He bought this 4,650 square feet townhouse for $2.895 million. Besides this, not much is known about Samuelsson’s lifestyle.

Interesting Facts

• Marcus’ interest in cooking comes from his maternal grandmother whom he always helped in the kitchen.
• Marcus is happily married to model Maya Haile. They have a son together, Zion Mandela.
• The couple together founded the “Three Goats Organisation” which is a charity organization that aims to improve the public welfare of those in need in Ethiopia.
• Marcus is also the father of a girl named Zoe, who was born when he was just twenty-one, working in Austria.
• Forbes has mentioned him in 2021.