Marco Pierre White Net Worth

What Is Marco Pierre White's Net Worth?

Marco Pierre White is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality who has a net worth of $40 million. Marco Pierre White comes from a long line of chefs; his father, grandfather, and brothers were all chefs. Marco began his cooking career as a kitchen apprentice at the Hotel St. George in Harrogate and quickly worked his way up to a job at the Michelin-starred Box Tree in Ilkley, Yorkshire, where he fueled his obsession with food. Following this stint, White moved to London and found a job working at Le Gavroche and began his classical training as a commis (a basic chef). He then worked at Le Manoir in Oxfordshire under Raymond Blanc. In 1986, he became a shareholder and head chef at upmarket burger bar Harveys at the age of 24. Marco transformed it into a classy and sophisticated restaurant.

At the same time, White transformed into a chef known to be ruthless and was dubbed by the press as 'London's rudest chef.' During his early career in the kitchen, he regularly ejected patrons from his restaurants if he took offense at their comments. When a customer once asked if he could have a side order of chips with his lunch, Marco hand-cut and personally cooked the chips but charged the customer extra for his time. A young chef at Harveys, who once complained of heat in the kitchen, had the back of his chef's jacket and trousers cut open by White with a sharp paring knife. Marco's tough attitude was not for nothing though, as he received his third Michelin star at the age of 33. He is the youngest chef to have received three Michelin stars. White also raised eyebrows when, after 17 years of pursuing what he thought to be his ambition (and in spite of his accomplishments), he returned his Michelin stars and retired because he wasn't happy with the way his career affected his personal life. He subsequently became a restaurateur. Marco has also released several cookbooks, and in 2012, he hosted the Channel 5 series "Marco Pierre White's Kitchen Wars."

Early Life

Marco Pierre White was born on December 11, 1961, in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He is the son of Maria-Rosa Gallina and chef Frank White, and he grew up with three brothers. His mother was an Italian immigrant. Sadly, when Marco was six years old, Maria-Rosa passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage due to complications from childbirth. White attended Allerton High School, but he left without any qualifications and decided to follow in his father's footsteps and train as a chef. During his youth, his classmates laughed when he had to read aloud at school, but he didn't realize he was dyslexic until his son was diagnosed with the disorder. In a 2012 interview with The Standard, Marco stated, "I was very fortunate that I entered a world where I didn't have to read or write. I entered a world of cooking where I expressed with my fingers and so that built my confidence. Over the years I've taught myself how to read. I've taught myself how to spell."

Career

White began his training at Harrogate's Hotel St George, followed by Ilkley's Box Tree. He moved to London in 1981 with "£7.36, a box of books, and a bag of clothes" and started his classical training at Le Gavroche as a commis. Marco trained with Michel and Albert Roux there, then he trained with Pierre Koffman at La Tante Claire. Next, he worked under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir and Nico Ladenis at Chez Nico before working at the Six Bells public house. In 1987, White opened his first restaurant, Harveys, in London, and quickly earned a  Michelin star. He received his second Michelin star the following year. In 1987, Marco won the Newcomer Award at The Caterer magazine's Catey Awards. Several of White's protégés from Harveys went on to become well-known chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, Stephen Terry, Phil Howard, and Éric Chavot. Marco later served as the chef-patron of The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, which was located in the former Hyde Park Hotel's dining room. There, he earned his third Michelin star, becoming the youngest chef to win three stars. After The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, he moved to the Le Méridien Piccadilly Hotel's Oak Room.

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After 17 years of pursuing a career as a chef, White retired in 1999 and returned his Michelin stars. He told Caterer and Hotelkeeper in 2007, "I was being judged by people who had less knowledge than me, so what was it truly worth? I gave Michelin inspectors too much respect, and I belittled myself. I had three options: I could be a prisoner of my world and continue to work six days a week, I could live a lie and charge high prices and not be behind the stove, or I could give my stars back, spend time with my children, and re-invent myself. I never left the stove, I never lived that lie. I'm not that trusting that someone could do what I did. That's why I bowed out." After retiring, Marco became a restaurateur and launched White Star Line-Marco Pierre Restaurants. In 2008, he opened the MPW Steak & Alehouse in London with James Robertson, and they opened the Kings Road Steakhouse & Grill in Chelsea in 2010. In 2016, both restaurants were renamed the London Steakhouse Co. After White met businessman Nick Taplin in 2010, Taplin opened the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at the Cadbury House hotel, and he followed it with locations in Chester and Birmingham. White and Taplin later formed Black and White Hospitality, which allows investors or property owners to open a Marco Pierre White branded restaurant within their property. Marco has also published the cookbooks "White Heat" (1990), "Canteen Cuisine" (1995), "The Mirabelle Cookbook" (1999), and "Marco Made Easy" (2010) and the autobiography "The Devil in the Kitchen" (2007).

Personal Life

Marco was married to Alex McArthur from mid-1988 to 1990, and they had a daughter named Letitia together. White later met 21-year-old model Lisa Butcher at a nightclub, and they became engaged within three weeks of their first meeting. After a two-month engagement, they married on August 15, 1992, and Marco sold the wedding photographs to Hello! magazine for £20,000. That year he began an affair with bar manager Matilde Conejero and left Lisa for her. White and Conejero wed on April 7, 2000, and they welcomed three children together. During the marriage, Marco befriended financier Robin Saunders, and Matilde suspected that the two were having an affair. White and Conejero fought in early 2005, and Marco subsequently spent 15 hours in a cell at the Notting Hill police station. The couple later separated. White is a fan of Manchester City Football Club, and he supports the Conservative Party.

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