It's not surprising. He probably didn't save a lot of money from his chef days. He wrote a book 18 years ago and only became very famous in last 10 years. His audiences have always been niche. He was also very selective about about his projects. He turned down lucrative endorsement deals (for cookware and things like that). So he was never about making as much as money as possible.

It's just that he had a larger than life personality/persona that made him seem more established and wealthier than he really was.

Bourdain had always said that he came late to the business of actually making money.

Anonymous wrote:Op -- where are your numbers coming from?

Anthony’s will was filed in court this week. It listed all of his assets.

I don't believe the numbers quoted for Megan Merkel's net worth either. I guess it doesn't matter now!

Anonymous wrote:1. His show wasn't a mainstream hit.

2. He was likely paying alimony and child support.

3. He doesn't strike me as a "saver."

4. He probably blew cash on booze and drugs.

5. He seems like the kind of guy who would generously pick up the tab.

6. Who knows how much he blew on his wacky girlfriend?

7. Eating at restaurants is expensive, and I bet he was the kind of guy who ate out all the time and tried tons of stuff on the menu (my chef friends do that).

Or how much he blew on his second wife’s MMA?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the second celebrity with 'fame' that has died in the past year with very tiny bank accounts relatively. How does someone like Bourdain with such a popular show have so little? Anderson Cooper is worth way more than him!

Anderson is a Vanderbilt. Of course he has more money than Bourdain.

LOL. Bad choice for a comparison, OP.

Those who read "Kitchen Confidential" are not surprised by this at all. I never thought he'd make old bones.

Op -- where are your numbers coming from?

1. His show wasn't a mainstream hit.

2. He was likely paying alimony and child support.

3. He doesn't strike me as a "saver."

4. He probably blew cash on booze and drugs.

5. He seems like the kind of guy who would generously pick up the tab.

6. Who knows how much he blew on his wacky girlfriend?

7. Eating at restaurants is expensive, and I bet he was the kind of guy who ate out all the time and tried tons of stuff on the menu (my chef friends do that).

Ex wives can suck up a lot of money.Also, Bourdain had serious drug issues earlier in his life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the second celebrity with 'fame' that has died in the past year with very tiny bank accounts relatively. How does someone like Bourdain with such a popular show have so little? Anderson Cooper is worth way more than him!



Instead of $16 million he had $1.1 million - His assets include $425,000 in “cash and savings,” $35,000 in a brokerage account, $250,000 and “personal property,” and $500,000 in “intangible property including royalties and residuals,” according to court papers.

Anderson is a Vanderbilt. Of course he has more money than Bourdain.

I'm not talking about his inheritance from his mother. His annual salary is $11 million. Bourdain was getting paid pennies.

Well your subject title says net worth. That is more than salary. And of course Anderson is paid more. His show is two hours a night every night most nights of the year. The audience and advertisers he draws is significant. You’re comparing apples and oranges here.

T.V. audiences are small, for any given show, and big paydays aren't that common.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the second celebrity with 'fame' that has died in the past year with very tiny bank accounts relatively. How does someone like Bourdain with such a popular show have so little? Anderson Cooper is worth way more than him!



Instead of $16 million he had $1.1 million - His assets include $425,000 in “cash and savings,” $35,000 in a brokerage account, $250,000 and “personal property,” and $500,000 in “intangible property including royalties and residuals,” according to court papers.

Anderson is a Vanderbilt. Of course he has more money than Bourdain.

I'm not talking about his inheritance from his mother. His annual salary is $11 million. Bourdain was getting paid pennies.

Anonymous wrote:This is the second celebrity with 'fame' that has died in the past year with very tiny bank accounts relatively. How does someone like Bourdain with such a popular show have so little? Anderson Cooper is worth way more than him!



Instead of $16 million he had $1.1 million - His assets include $425,000 in “cash and savings,” $35,000 in a brokerage account, $250,000 and “personal property,” and $500,000 in “intangible property including royalties and residuals,” according to court papers.

Anderson is a Vanderbilt. Of course he has more money than Bourdain.

This is the second celebrity with 'fame' that has died in the past year with very tiny bank accounts relatively. How does someone like Bourdain with such a popular show have so little? Anderson Cooper is worth way more than him!



Instead of $16 million he had $1.1 million - His assets include $425,000 in “cash and savings,” $35,000 in a brokerage account, $250,000 and “personal property,” and $500,000 in “intangible property including royalties and residuals,” according to court papers.