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Guy Fieri revealed that he plans to “die broke” and leave his children money only if they get “two degrees.”
The 55-year-old Diners, Dives & Drives host admitted to Fox News that he won’t leave his sons an inheritance unless they finish their schooling. The celebrity chef explained that he wanted to teach his children the same work ethic his father had instilled in him from a young age.
“I’ve told them the same thing my dad told me. My dad says, ‘When I die, you can expect that I’m going to die broke, and you’re going to be paying for the funeral.’” Fieri told the outlet, “And I told my boys, ‘None of this that we’ve been…that I’ve been building are you going to get unless you come and take it from me.’”
Upon hearing this, Fieri said that youngest son Ryder – a senior in high school – told him that he was being unfair for setting such high expectations right out the gate. The chef recalled Ryder’s words, “‘Dad, this is so unfair. I haven’t even gone to college yet, and you’re already pushing that I’ve got to get an MBA? Can I just get through college?’”
But Fieri wasn’t deterred in his mission to get his boys to pursue higher education, citing the wise words of NBA star Shaquille O’Neill as the inspiration to getting his children to take school seriously.
“Shaq said at best,” the multi-millionaire celebrity chef explained. “Shaq said, ‘If you want this cheese, you got to get to two degrees.’ Well, my two degrees mean, you know, postgraduate.”
Although Ryder wasn’t too fond of the idea, Fieri’s nephew Jules has decided to listen to his uncle’s advice and is reportedly pursuing a law degree at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.
“Jules is in the music industry down in LA,” Fieri said. “He’s in the law program at Loyola Marymount right now. If you’re going to be a big-time entertainment agent, you need to have that law background. So he’s doing that.”
Fieri’s eldest son Guy is also reportedly taking his education seriously, with him being enrolled in an MBA program at the University of Miami for a master’s degree in business.
Last month, Fieri recently signed a lucrative three-year contract with the Food Network valued at around $100 million after signing an $80 million deal in 2021, according to Variety.
“I’m so appreciative. I really feel fortunate,” Fieri said of the deal. “I started at the Food Network almost 17, 18 years ago. And never thought anything like this was ever coming my way.”
Fieri will clinch the title as the highest-paid star at the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable channel as he nears his 20th anniversary with Food Network. The self-described Mayor of Flavortown will helm projects like his Emmy-nominated Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and continue to produce more episodes of his competition shows, Guy’s Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions.