'Cake Boss' Star Buddy Valastro's Net Worth In 2023
Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro
Cake Boss Buddy Valastro's net worth comes from decades of hard work.
Valastro is a fourth-generation baker, but didn't think he'd ever become the creative fondant artist we know him as today: He struggled in art classes at school and got his start washing pots and pans for his father in Carlo's Bake Shop when he was a child, but let himself dream bigger.
"I wanted to be creative, and thought if I can make cakes that don’t look like normal cakes, but taste the way my dad's cakes tasted, then I might be onto something," he said. That made way for his famous Rainbow Cake, plus other creations like a planetarium cake, an aquarium cake, a Betty White cake and a life-sized NASCAR car cake (weighing 11,000 pounds!).
Counting celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Lopez among his clients, Valastro takes the cake when it comes to building wealth by doing what you love.
Related: I Tried Buddy Valastro's Rainbow Cake
How did the Cake Boss Buddy Valastro become famous?
Buddy Valastro became the Cake Boss at a young age because of a family tragedy.
Carlo Guastaferro opened the original Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1910. Valastro's father, Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Sr., purchased Carlo's Bake Shop from Guastaferro in 1964, and Buddy Jr. began working there with his four older sisters when he was just 11 years old. Buddy Sr. died in 1994, leaving Buddy Jr. to become the family patriarch—and the Cake Boss—when he was just 17 years old.
"I was pretty much in charge," he previously told Parade. "But I had bakers who worked here for 30 years. They didn’t want to listen to a 17-year-old kid. They knew more than me. I had to prove to them that I was worthy of their respect. I remember my father saying respect is something that you have to earn. It's not something you can get because you’re someone’s son."
He famously struggled initially to recreate his father's sfogliatelle (lobster tails) until his late dad came to him in a dream to show him how to prepare the delicate dough.
"I believe that if you work hard, and you do what you have to do, you can accomplish anything," Valastro told Vanity Fair. "I'm not going to lie to you. I'm a high-school dropout. But I believe the American Dream is still alive."
Valastro said that supermarkets, with increasingly luxe bakery departments, threatened small bakeries and pastry shops like Carlo's Bake Shop, which drove him to get creative.
"I said, [I've] got to make cakes they'll never be able to make," he explained. "And that's when I went in the direction of making these crazy kind of cakes."
His cakes caught the attention of the Food Network, which invited him to compete on Food Network Challenge in 2004. His success on the show eventually led TLC to come calling, and Cake Boss premiered in 2009. The show ran from 2009 to 2017 on TLC and from 2019 to 2020 on Discovery Family. In November 2023, two new Valstro-centered shows, Legends of the Fork and Buddy Valastro's Cake Dynasty, premiered on A&E.
Related: Cake Boss Star Buddy Valastro's Tips for Making Eclairs at Home
What is Buddy Valastro's net worth in 2023?
According to various estimates, including that of Celebrity Net Worth, Buddy Valastro's net worth in 2023 is about $10 million. That's a lot of cake indeed!
However, Valastro's success isn't just due to his sweets—the man really knows how to diversify his income streams! His entrepreneurial efforts, including cake vending machines, restaurants, cake decorating classes, product lines (including dog treats with The Pound Bakery), endorsements (including Whole Earth Sweetener Co.), cookbooks and spinoffs, have also made him a mint.
That said, he's seen setbacks, too: After impaling his hand in a freak bowling accident, he initially struggled to create the masterpieces for which he's known until going through multiple surgeries, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused some financial hardships for his businesses as well.
Related: The One Kitchen Tool Cake Boss Star Buddy Valastro Can't Live Without
How much is Buddy the Cake Boss worth?
Valastro's net worth is estimated at a sweet $10 million.
Related: Buddy Valastro's Sunday Gravy Recipe
What episode was the most expensive cake on Cake Boss?
In the 2011 Cake Boss episode "Bling, Barbecue and Blueprints," Valastro was asked to whip up a cake boasting actual diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and pearls for socialite Devorah Rose. It cost a whopping $30 million and is officially the most expensive cake of all time. (In case you were wondering, the United Nations World Food Program estimates that it would cost about $40 billion annually to end world hunger by 2030.)
Related: You Won't Believe How Much Butter and Sugar Buddy Valastro Uses Every December
What does Cake Boss charge for his cakes?
Valastro's custom cake prices vary depending on the type, the timing and how much work and special ingredients have to go into them. He does, however, ship cakes nationwide. The prices of these varies by type of cake. A 2-pack of crumb cakes cost $31.95 and a Gifted Rainbow Two-Tier Cake, which feeds 30 to 34 people, rings in at $149.95.
Related: Bobby Flay's Net Worth Can Buy a Lot of Burgers
How many bakeries does Buddy Valastro have?
Valastro previously owned 19 bakeries worldwide, including one in São Paulo, Brazil. Currently, Valastro has 10 Carlo's Bakery and Carlo's Bake Shop locations, plus eateries and a slew of cake vending machines nationwide. In early December 2023, it was reported that his Santa Monica, California, location was closing to focus more on e-commerce of his signature baked goods.
Who actually owns Carlo's Bakery?
Er, not Carlo! Valastro owns the original Carlo's Bake Shop, as well as Carlo's Bakery locations.
