Sandra Lee is a Santa Monica, California-born American television personality, chef as well as an author. Born on 3 July 1966, she is best known for her appearance on television as a celebrity chef and her concept of semi-homemade cooking with 70% pre-packaged products and 30% of fresh ingredients. A famous television celebrity chef of now, Sandra has been active on television since 2003.
A celebrity chef who has managed to find prominence on television for more than twelve years now, one may wonder how rich is Sandra Lee? As of early 2016, Sandra’s net worth is over $20 million as estimated by sources. The major source of her wealth is indeed her television appearances whereas her being an author of several culinary books also has significance in making her a multi-millionaire personality at the present.
Sandra Lee Net Worth $20 Million
Raised in Summer, Washington, California as well as Onalaska, Wisconsin, Sandra lived with her mother and grandmother for most of her childhood. She attended Onalaska High School in Wisconsin and after matriculating she enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. However, she left the University before graduating, but then registered at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, Canada. Lee initiated her career as an entrepreneur and created a home decorating product called “Sandra Lee Kraft Kurtains” in the early 1990s. Her product was successful and sold around $20 million in the first 18 months of its release making a significant rise in her net worth.
In 2003, Sandra started appearing in her own cooking show “Semi-homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee”, making her idea of semi-homemade cooking concept popular. Later, she went on to appear in another Food Network series “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” which has been airing since 2009. Currently, she also appears in two other shows – “Sandra’s Restaurant Remakes” and “Sandra Lee’s Taverns, Lounges and Clubs”. Obviously, being a part of these television shows has added to Sandra’s wealth over the years.
Along with finding popularity as a television chef, Sandra is also a well-known author. She has published 25 books over the last 20 years, and her most notable include “Semi-Homemade: Cool Kids Cooking” and “Made From Scratch”. For her contributions in the sector of food and culinary art, she was rewarded with Daytime Emmy Award in 2012 for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host for her show “Semi-Homemade Cooking”. She’s had some critical reactions on some of her recipes, including one for “Kwanzaa Cake”.
Talking about her personal life, 49 years old Sandra is a divorcee who was previously married to KB Home CEO, Bruce Karatz between 2001 and 2005. Since 2005, she is in a relationship with the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo. Recently in 2015, she was diagnosed with early stage of breast and is now undergoing treatment for the same. As of now, Lee resides in Poughkeepsie and Chappaqua with Andrew Cuomo, enjoying her career as a celebrity chef while her present net worth of $20 million caters to her daily lifestyle.
Living with Andrew Cuomo and his daughters in Westchester County, N.Y. [2010]
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Release of her book, "Made From Scratch: A Memoir". [2007]
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Release of her book, "Semi-Homemade Cocktail Time". [2009]
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Release of her book, "Semi-Homemade Desserts". [2003]
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Release of her book, "Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals". [September 2008]
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Launch of "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade", her bi-monthly magazine. [February 2009]
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Release of her book, "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals". [2006]
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Release of her book, "Semi-Homemade Weekend Wonders". [2009]
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Release of her book, "Semi-Homemade Money Saving Slow Cooking". [2009]
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Release of her book, "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes". [2006]
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Release of her book, "Semi-Homemade Cooking". Introduction by Wolfgang Puck. [2002]
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Has a pet parrot named "Phoenix".
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Hometown is La Crosse, Wisconsin.
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Received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2010.
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Editor-in-chief of "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade" magazine.
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Spokesperson for Share Our Strength's "Great American Baked Sale".
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In the early 1990s, she created a product called "Kurtain Kraft", a home decorating tool using a wire rack and sheets or other fabric samples to create the appearance of decorative drapery. The product was sold on infomercials and cable shopping networks.
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In a relationship with politician Andrew Cuomo since 2007.
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Has a dog named Aspen.
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Taught to cook by her maternal grandmother, Lorraine Korth Waldroop.
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Her parents were teens when she was born. They divorced in 1972, her mother remarried and moved them to Sumner, Washington. When Sandra was 11-years-old, her mother divorced for a second time and became depressed and very ill. Sandra became a surrogate mother to her younger siblings; her responsibilities included buying groceries, preparing the meals and handling the family finances.