Wolfgang Puck — The $400M Pioneer

Wolfgang Puck essentially founded the celebrity chef concept with Spago in 1982, and his pioneering legacy now generates $400 million in annual revenue. His Wolfgang Puck Companies includes 20 fine dining restaurants, 80+ Express outlets in airports and stadiums, a catering business feeding 16,000 Academy Awards guests yearly since 1995, and a kitchen appliance line in 5,000 retail stores. While younger chefs command huge TV contracts, Puck's diversified model generates 30% more annual revenue than #3 Guy Fieri's estimated $100 million empire, cementing his role as the original empire builder.