Guy Fieri refuses to leave fortune to his kids: You’ll have to ‘come and take it from me’
The Mayor of Flavortown is laying down the law.
Food Network’s Guy Fieri revealed Wednesday that he doesn’t plan on allowing his teenage sons to get a free ride in life because of their last name.
“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, 55, told Fox News.
“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.’ ”
The “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” star told the outlet that by the time his kids complete school, he wants them to have multiple degrees and be self-sufficient.
According to the foodie, his youngest son Ryder, 17, had issues with his father’s decrees.
“My youngest son, Ryder, is a senior in high school getting ready to graduate, or you know, going to graduate in the spring,” Fieri explained. “And he’s like, ‘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?’ “
Fieri told Fox that he modeled his rules after former basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal.
“Shaq said it best,” the “Guy’s Big Bite” alum stated. “Shaq said it about his kids one time. He says, ‘If you want any of this cheese, you’ve got to give me two degrees.’ Well, my two degrees mean, you know, postgraduate. So they’re on their way.”
According to the “80 for Brady” alum, his oldest son Hunter, who recently got engaged to professional pickleball player Tara Bernstein, is currently pursuing a master’s degree while also working for his famous dad.
“I think the kid’s going to explode,” Fieri stated, regarding his 27-year-old son.
In addition to his own children, Fieri and his wife, Lori, obtained guardianship of their nephew Jules Fieri after his mother passed away in 2011.
Fieri’s nephew is currently pursuing a music career while also studying law in Southern California.
This is not the first time the celebrity has spoken about his wish for his sons to be self-sufficient.
In September 2022, Fieri said he had a very strict rule when it came to his kids’ first cars — they each have to drive an older vehicle for one year and avoid getting a ticket or into an accident before being allowed to get a newer model.
“It’s a rite of passage,” said Fieri.
“Show me that you can spend a year driving the car, not getting any dents, not getting any wrecks, not getting any tickets. Prove that you’ve got it all together. Then you can take your own money out of the bank and go buy a car,” he continued.
Fieri said his decree was not a punishment. Rather, he wants his boys to be able to take care of their cars.
“You know what Ryder drove to school [when] he got his license? He got my parents’ old, used 259,000-mile Chrysler minivan,” he said. “I’m not buying Ryder a car, and I refuse to let him buy a car until he spends one year with no tickets, no accidents, driving the minivan.”
Hunter, who started his driving career with his grandfather’s 1996 truck with “no working windows,” praised his father’s commitment to raising his kids.
“He’s a great teacher and a great father and leads by example,” the heir-apparent to Flavortown said. “He does the right things to train you for the real world. And teaches you discipline and hard work and to not give up, and that not everyone’s going to hold your hand through life.”
