Ina Garten, an American television personality and author, has a net worth of $120 million, which she shares with her husband, investment banker Jeffrey Garten. Ina is best known as the host of the Emmy-winning Food Network show “Barefoot Contessa” and is also a former White House nuclear policy analyst.
Ina Garten Net Worth | $120 Million |
Date of Birth | February 2, 1948 |
Place of Birth | Brooklyn, New York |
Nationality | American |
Profession | Television Personality, Author |
Early Life
Ina Garten was born Ina Rosenberg on February 2, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, with her surgeon father, Charles H. Rosenberg, and dietitian mother, Florence Rich. Encouraged to excel in academics, Ina showed a strong aptitude for science, a skill she still utilizes in her culinary experiments. She met her future husband, Jeffrey Garten, at age 15 during a visit to her brother at Dartmouth College. Although she planned to attend Syracuse University after high school, she postponed her education to marry Jeffrey in 1968.
Ina Garten Career
After their marriage, the couple moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where Jeffrey served a four-year military tour during the Vietnam War. During this period, Ina began cooking and entertaining to pass the time, eventually earning her pilot’s certificate. Following Jeffrey’s military service, the couple took a four-month camping trip in France, igniting Ina’s passion for French cuisine and local markets. Upon their return to the U.S., they settled in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Ina worked at the White House while earning an MBA at George Washington University. She advanced from a government aide to a budget analyst, responsible for writing the nuclear energy budget and policy papers for Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. During this time, she also flipped homes for profit, which eventually enabled her to purchase The Barefoot Contessa Specialty Store.
Barefoot Contessa Store
In 1978, Ina found an advertisement in “The New York Times” for a specialty food store for sale in the Hamptons. After visiting the store with Jeffrey, they decided to buy it, despite Ina’s lack of experience in the food industry. She left her government job, and they moved to New York City, where she took over the 400-square-foot store. Named after the 1954 film starring Ava Gardner, Ina kept the name, feeling it embodied her vision of an “elegant but earthy lifestyle.”
The store quickly outgrew its space, moving first across Main Street and then to a larger property in East Hampton in 1985. It expanded over seven times its original size, specializing in local delicacies. Ina, along with local chefs and bakers, gained praise from celebrity clientele like Steven Spielberg and Lauren Bacall. In 1996, she sold the store to two employees, Parker Hodges and Amy Forst, but it closed permanently in 2004 due to lease negotiation issues.
Cookbooks and TV Show
Ina’s passion for cooking led her to write “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” which became a professional milestone. The positive response prompted her to publish a second book, “Barefoot Contessa Parties,” in 2001. In 2002, her third book, “Barefoot Contessa Family Style,” was released, and she was approached by the Food Network to host a cooking show. After initially declining, she agreed when the London-based production company behind “Nigella Bites” got involved. The show, “Barefoot Contessa,” premiered in 2002 to acclaim, featuring Jeffrey and their friends, occasionally including celebrities. It consistently ranks among the Food Network’s highest-rated shows, earning multiple Daytime Emmy nominations and an Emmy win for Ina in 2009 as Best Culinary Host.
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Ina published “Barefoot in Paris” in 2004, followed by “Barefoot Contessa at Home” in 2006. Her subsequent cookbooks include “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics” (2008), “How Easy Is That?” (2010), “Foolproof” (2012), and “Make It Ahead.” In 2013, she introduced her Barefoot Contessa dinner line, bringing her popular recipes to grocery stores nationwide. Ina has authored 11 successful cookbooks over her career.
Other Ventures
In 2006, Ina launched Barefoot Contessa Pantry with her business partner Frank Newbold and Stonewall Kitchen, offering packaged cake mixes, sauces, preserves, and marinades based on her recipes. The high-end product line is sold through upscale retailers like Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table, and Fox & Obel Market Cafe.
Personal Life
Ina’s husband, Jeffrey Garten, served as the dean of the Yale School of Management from 1995 to 2005. He frequently appears on her cooking show. The couple splits their time between Manhattan, East Hampton, and Paris. In 2016, they purchased an Upper East Side NYC apartment for $4.6 million. Their East Hampton home, on a nearly 40,000-square-foot lot, is worth at least $10 million.
A registered Democrat, Ina has contributed to the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton, John Kerry, George H. W. Bush, and Barack Obama. She hosted the 16th Annual Hudson Peconic benefit for Planned Parenthood and serves on the Design Review Board for East Hampton, overseeing building permissions and preserving the historical district.
Ina Garten Net Worth
Ina Garten net worth is $120 million.