Rachael Ray earns more than Wolfgang Puck. What the Yum-o?

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Why does Wolfgang Puck need a drink? Well, he just found out that the TV lifestyle chef who describes her simple cuisine as ‘Yum-o!’ -- Rachael Ray -- topped him in earnings. Ray earns $18 million, while our Austrian hometown boy pulls in a not-too-shabby $16 million -- according to Forbes.

She has a magazine with 1.5 million subscribers and a deal with Dunkin’ Donuts and a show on the Food Network. He has Spago, Cut and 13 other brands -- and those frozen pizzas too. He also sells his cutlery on Home Shopping Network. Most surprising? Mario Batali, owner of blockbuster restaurant Mozza and hundreds of pairs of obnoxious orange Crocs, only pulls in a cooler-than-gazpacho $3 mill.
Does this news give anyone else acute indigestion?

Also, it seems that America trusts chefs more than celebrities. Research firm NPD Group recently released a study that showed that nine of the top 25 most trusted celebrities are chefs, including Batali, Paula Deen and Ray. That makes sense -- who would you rather ask to watch your kids? Paula Deen or Paris Hilton?

photo: Getty Images