Joey Chestnut

Joey Chestnut

Current Networth - $3 Million

Personal Stats

NameJoey Chestnut
RoleCompetitive Eater
IndustrySports
Net Worth$3 Million
Date of Birth and AgeNovember 25, 1983 (age 40)
Accolades 16x Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion

Table of Contents

  • About Joey Chestnut
  • Businesses Owned
  • Early Life
  • Family
  • What is Joey Chestnut’s net worth? 
  • What is Joey Chestnut’s claim to fame? 

About Joey Chestnut

Joey Chestnut, an American competitive eater, has become a legendary figure in the world of competitive eating, holding numerous world records and dominating eating contests for over a decade. Known for his remarkable ability to consume vast quantities of food in record time, Chestnut has gained fame primarily through his victories in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, where he has won multiple championships. His skill, discipline, and relentless determination have set him apart in the sport, making him a household name and an icon in competitive eating. 


Businesses Owned

  • Joey Chestnut Sauces


Early Life

Joey Chestnut’s early years shaped his competitive spirit and set him on an unexpected path to becoming a champion eater.

  • Born Joseph Christian Chestnut on November 25, 1983, in Vallejo, California, and grew up in a modest family with strong values and a love for competition.
  • Developed a natural competitive streak from a young age, participating in sports and games with a relentless drive to win.
  • Attended San Jose State University, where he studied engineering, balancing his academics with his growing interest in competitive eating.
  • First entered the competitive eating scene in 2005 when he participated in an asparagus eating competition, finishing with an impressive performance and realizing his potential in the sport.
  • Gained attention in 2007 when he defeated then-champion Takeru Kobayashi in the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, establishing himself as a force in the competitive eating world.
  • Quickly rose through the ranks in Major League Eating, earning the nickname “Jaws” and solidifying his place among the top competitive eaters worldwide.

Family

Joey Chestnut, known as one of the greatest competitive eaters in history, has kept much of his personal family life private, though a few details about his background and family are known.

  • Was raised by his mother, Alicia Chestnut, who has been supportive of his unique career path in competitive eating. His father has remained largely out of the spotlight.
  • Grew up in a large family and has four siblings, though he has chosen to keep details about them private, focusing media attention on his career rather than his personal relationships.
  • Engaged to longtime girlfriend Neslie Ricasa in 2014; however, they amicably parted ways shortly before their planned wedding, and Chestnut has since kept his personal life private.

Decades ago, who would have thought that competitive eating would make anyone a millionaire? Well, times have changed, and Joey Chestnut’s net worth of $3 million is a testimony to it. 

Nicknamed "Jaws,"  he has earned a substantial amount of money from winning different eating competitions. Besides endorsement deals from major brands, Joey increased his net worth via his own line of condiments. 

Net Worth$3 Million
Salary$500,000
ProfessionCompetitive Eater
NationalityAmerican
No. of Houses1
No. of Cars1+

What is Joey Chestnut’s net worth? 

As of 2024, Joey Chestnut’s net worth is $3 million.

Joey Chestnut made most of his money from competitive eating and related sources of income. A competitive eater can easily make anywhere between $250,000 and $500,000. Most recently, Joey Chestnut made $100,000 by defeating his longtime rival Takeru Kobayashi. In the competition, his rival ate 66 hot dogs and buns, while Mr. Jaws ate 76 hot dogs and buns, defeating his arch rival. 

Also, he recently signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods for $1.2 million. He also has endorsement deals with other brands like Hooters and Hostess. In addition to it, he also has a line of condiments that are sold under his name. He also earns via his YouTube channel that currently has 309,000 subscribers.


What is Joey Chestnut’s claim to fame? 

Joey Chestnut built a successful career in competitive eating. However, his rise to fame journey comprises several different events, like: 

  • Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest: Mr. Jaws made his first victory at the mentioned competition in 2007. By 2024, he has already won the competition 16 times, hinting at his expertise and dominance in the contest. 
  • Breaking Records: Well, Joey is not just into hotdogs but into wings as well. In 2012, Chestnut defeated the reigning five-year champion Sonya Thomas by eating 191 chicken wings in just 12 minutes. 
  • Regaining Dominance: After losing to Matt Stonie in the 2015 edition of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, he gained the top spot by defeating Stonie in 2016. Since then, Chestnut has won every title from 2016 to 2024. Well, maintaining your winning streak for eight years straight is something commendable. 
  • Absence at 2024 NHDC: After making a deal with Impossible Foods and having a contractual disagreement with Major League Eating, Joey didn’t compete for the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest. He lost a glorious chance to win the prize money. 
  • Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: For 2024, Nathan signed a deal with Netflix for “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef" to compete against his arch rival Kobayashi. He did it once again and defeated his long-time rival by eating 83 hot dogs and buns, while Kobayashi could do 66 of the same. He made $100,000 from the event and got a custom WWE belt from Rey Mysterio. 

What businesses does Joey Chestnut own? 

After being successful and winning at different eating competitions, it was natural for Chestnut to start something of his own in the culinary field. He started the following business: 

  • Joey Chestnut Sauces: In 2018, Joey Chestnut started his own line of condiments. The famous products include mustard sauce, coney sauce, and four wings sauces/dips. He sells the same via different online platforms, including Amazon and Walmart. The prices of these condiments range from $7.44 per piece to $44 for a pack of six. 

What brands have Joey Chestnut endorsed? 

Joey Chestnut has endorsed a few brands over the course of his career that have added to his net worth. They are as under: 

  • Impossible Foods: It is basically a vegan meat-based producer. Joey promoted the brand’s vegan hot dog ahead of the summer of 2024. The deal is for $1.2 million for a period of four years, enabling Joey to make $300,000 each year. 
  • Pepto-Bismol: Who better than to promote a brand for stomach-related problems than Mr. Jaws himself? We are sure after breaking records and overeating he would need one for sure. He endorsed the brand at Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest and even kissed the bottle of the same after winning the competition. Pepto-Bismol claimed their sales grew by 10% after the Summer Food Festival and Chestnut’s efforts. In 2010, he made $10,000 for each of the four eating contests.

Besides the above-mentioned deals, some reports indicate that he also made undisclosed amounts of money from Hostess, Hooters, and Coney Island IPA.


How does Joey Chestnut spend his millions?

Well, Joey Chestnut is not exactly open about how he chooses to live and enjoy the finer aspects of life. He doesn’t seem to be a lavish spender. Although we think he might splurge on his training when he is not competing. Also, he has been in the news for his donation from the raised money at different events. 


How many houses does Joey Chestnut own? 

Mr. Jaws seems to prefer a more relaxed and subtle life. He doesn’t live in an extravagant house that most celebs or a person with his net worth would prefer. Let’s dive deeper into his only known house. 

  • Westfield House: It is believed that this is the first house that Joey bought in 2014. Thanks to his lucrative deals and competition prize money, he bought the same at the age of 30 for $618,000. It is a 5,726 square foot house with a beautiful garden, outdoor kitchen area, and three-car garage.

What are Joey Chestnut’s charitable contributions? 

Joey Chestnut makes a good amount of money from competition and other ventures. However, he even tried his best to give back to the community. Here’s an example:

  • July 4 Donation: By eating 57 hot dogs in just five minutes. He competed alongside four soldiers against the clock and raised $106,000. The event happened in El Paso, and $1,000 of the raised money was donated to the military families charity for each of the hot dogs consumed.

What’s next for Joey Chestnut? 

Joey Chestnut had mentioned that he plans to participate in competitive eating contests till the age of 70. Though he was not able to participate in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this year, he's confident for next year. 


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