Joey Chestnut Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Joey Chestnut’s Net Worth and Career Earnings?

Joey Chestnut, an American competitive eater, boasts a net worth of $3 million and is widely regarded as the most accomplished competitive eater in history. His rise to fame began in 2007 when he clinched victory at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for the first time. As of July 4, 2023, he has secured this title 16 times. Over the years, Joey has held the top spot as the world’s leading competitive eater as recognized by the Major League of Eating.

Chestnut’s path to becoming a competitive eating legend commenced in 2005 at the Nathan’s contest, where he devoured 32 hot dogs. He swiftly ascended the ranks, dethroning prior champion Takeru Kobayashi in 2007. Since that pivotal moment, Joey has consistently dominated the competitive eating landscape.

Beyond his triumphs at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, Chestnut has shattered numerous records across various food categories. Highlights include consuming 182 chicken wings in 30 minutes, 141 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes, and 53 soft beef tacos in just 10 minutes. His crowning achievement occurred in 2021 when he consumed 76 hot dogs and buns in a mere 10 minutes, establishing a new world record. Known for his extraordinary capacity to eat large amounts of food rapidly, he earned the moniker “Jaws,” cementing his status as a household name in competitive eating.

Annual Earnings

The premier prize for winning Nathan’s is $10,000. While this amount may not seem substantial, it provides the most visibility that these athletes will garner throughout the year. A leading competitive eater can easily earn between $250,000 and $500,000 annually through a combination of prize money and endorsements. Joey’s longtime rival, Takeru Kobayashi, has not participated in Nathan’s in recent years due to a contractual dispute with the Major League of Eating organization.

Joey has also launched a line of condiments that carry his name, which includes mustard, dipping sauce, coney sauce, hot sauce, and more.

Impossible Foods Endorsement

In June 2024, it was announced that Joey had inked a 4-year endorsement deal worth $1.2 million with vegan food company Impossible Foods. This agreement, averaging $400,000 annually, somewhat limits Joey’s ability to compete in Nathan’s annual Fourth of July contest; however, he was not BANNED from the event as initially reported by several outlets.

Netflix Kobayashi Showdown

The day following the announcement of his Impossible Foods deal, it was disclosed that Joey had signed with Netflix for a live showdown against Kobayashi. The event, titled “Chestnut Vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” is set to air on September 2, 2024.

Early Life

Born on November 25, 1983, in Fulton County, Kentucky, Joey Chestnut completed high school and went on to San Jose State University, where his journey in eating competitions began in 2005. He graduated in 2012, partly due to extensive travel for food competitions.

One

One of Joey’s significant early events was an asparagus-eating contest, where he secured first place by consuming nearly six and a half pounds of deep-fried asparagus in just 11.5 minutes, surpassing highly-ranked eater Rich LeFevre.

Turning Professional

Beginning in 2005, he participated in his inaugural Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which was just the first of many. He finished third, having devoured 32 hot dogs, while Sonya Thomas took second with 37. The event was won by Takeru Kobayashi, who consumed 49 hot dogs. That same year, he achieved a new world record for eating 32.5 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes, winning the GoldenPalace World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship.

Joey’s fame in the eating world continued to grow, as he beat Sonya Thomas in the Waffle House World Waffle Eating Championship and secured second place in the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship, both events occurring in 2005.

During the 2006 Nathan’s Contest, Kobayashi set a new world record with 53 and 3/4ths hot dogs consumed, while Joey achieved second place with 52, which established a US record.

The following year, Chestnut claimed victory at Wing Bowl XV in Philadelphia by eating 182 chicken wings within 30 minutes. He also triumphed at the annual Nathan’s Contest, defeating the six-time champion Kobayashi by eating 66 hot dogs compared to Kobayashi’s 63. At the end of 2007, Joey won the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship, devouring 103 Krystal burgers in less than eight minutes.

From 2007 to 2015, Joey achieved eight consecutive victories at Nathan’s Contests.

In 2020 and again in 2021, he established new records by consuming 75 and subsequently 76 hot dogs in merely 10 minutes. By 2022, he captured his 15th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest title, even with a protester interrupting the event, whom Chestnut managed to subdue in a chokehold while still eating 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Although Matt Stonie won the contest in 2015, Joey avenged himself in 2016 by eating 70 hot dogs, reclaiming his title and setting a new record. He continued to win every contest from 2016 to 2020.

Joey’s record for a single competition is 76 hot dogs.

In 2008, Chestnut set two fresh world records, first at the Wing Bowl in February, where he consumed 241 wings in 30 minutes. He followed this by eating 78 matzo balls at the Kenny & Ziggy’s World Matzoh Ball Eating Championship in Houston. In March, he set a new male record at The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, by eating a 4.5-pound ribeye steak, salad, baked potato, shrimp cocktail, and roll in under nine minutes. He also won the Nathan’s Contest again after a tie with Kobayashi led to an eat-off. Weeks later, Chestnut faced defeat against Kobayashi in a chicken satay contest, where he consumed nearly nine pounds of chicken compared to Kobayashi’s twelve.

In 2010, Chestnut took home the title at the Shrimp Wontons eating competition in Singapore. He also won the Nathan’s Contest for the fourth consecutive year, though he did not set a new record. Furthermore, he triumphed at the Pepto Bismol Bratwurst Eating Championship by eating 42 brats within 12 minutes and at the Upper Crust Pizza Eating competition, consuming 37 slices in 10 minutes. In 2011, he secured another victory at Nathan’s Contest, although Kobayashi achieved a new world record by eating 69 hot dogs at an off-site event with independent judges. That year, he did not participate in the Nathan’s Contest due to his refusal to sign the required contract.

In 2012, at the Toojay’s Corned Beef Eating Competition in Palm Beach Gardens, Chestnut set a new record by consuming 20 corned beef sandwiches in ten minutes. He also defended his title…

At the Nathan’s Contest, he tied his own personal record by consuming 68 hotdogs once again. That same year, he also made an appearance on “Hell’s Kitchen” where he took part in a wing-eating contest against several contestants. The following year, he surpassed his record at the Nathan’s Contest by devouring 69 hotdogs. Additionally, he triumphed at the Hooters World Wing-Eating Championship and the Hillshire Farm Bratwurst Eating World Championship.

In 2018, Chestnut joined fellow competitive eater Tim Janus on “The Amazing Race 30.”

Joey Chestnut is preparing to participate in the 2023 Jack’s Donuts World Donut Hole Eating Championship.

(Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

Training

Chestnut has mentioned that his training for competitions involves fasting as well as stretching his stomach with water, milk, and protein supplements. He particularly focuses on hot dog competitions by consuming 40 hot dogs at once and progressively increasing that amount daily to reach record-breaking figures.

Other Accolades and Records

For Joey, competitive eating is a full-time endeavor. He engages in year-round training that includes regular fasting and the consumption of protein supplements, milk, and water to stretch his stomach. Throughout the year, his weight varies between 210 and 225 pounds.

Joey has set records including eating hard-boiled eggs (141 in eight minutes), bratwurst (70 in 10 minutes), Matzoh balls (78 in eight minutes), hot dogs (69 in 10 minutes at the 2013 Nathan’s contest), steak (4.5 pounds plus sides in under nine minutes), pork ribs (13.76 pounds in 12 minutes), and asparagus (12.8 pounds in 10 minutes). On July 4, 2016, he devoured 70 hot dogs. The following year, he increased that to 72. A year later, he achieved a record 74. At the 2019 Nathan’s contest, he claimed his 12th title by eating 71 dogs. In 2021, Chestnut reached a new world record by consuming 76 hot dogs. Moreover, in April 2023, on National Burrito Day, he won the inaugural Qdoba World Burrito Eating Championship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by eating 14.5 burritos in 10 minutes.

Personal Life

Shortly before defending his title in the 2014 Nathan’s competition, Chestnut proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Neslie Ricasa. However, the relationship ended a year later, in early 2015, prior to their planned wedding. Currently, Chestnut resides in Westfield, Indiana.