No cheddar for the children? Guy Fieri says if his kids want money, they better plan on grad school

When it comes to motivating his children, Guy Fieri paraphrases the immortal words of Shaquille O’Neal: “If you want any of this cheese, you’ve gotta get two degrees.”

The Food Network host, 55, sat down with Fox News Digital to describe how he expects his children to work hard and pursue graduate degrees instead of expecting to have success handed to them.

“I told them the same thing my dad told me,” Fieri said. “My dad says, ‘When I die, you can expect that I’m gonna die broke and you’re gonna be paying for the funeral.’

“And I told my boys,” he continued, “None of this that ... I’ve been building are you gonna get unless you come and take it from me.”

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Fieri has two sons, Hunter, 27, and Ryder, 17, as well as a nephew, Jules, 22, whom he has helped look after since his sister’s death in 2011. During the Fox segment, he discussed what the latter two were up to.

“My nephew Jules is in the music industry, down in L.A. He’s in the law program at Loyola Marymount right now,” Fieri said. “If you’re gonna be a big-time entertainment agent, you need to have that law background.”

Fieri joked, meanwhile, that Ryder had already chided him about the high expectations placed on him, although he has yet to graduate high school.

“He’s like, ‘Dad, this is so unfair; I haven’t even gone to college yet, and you’re already pushing that I’ve gotta get an MBA,’” Fieri said, smiling.

People reported Fieri’s eldest son, Hunter, is currently pursuing an MBA in Miami.

In addition to hosting his long-running show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Fieri catered last year’s Players Tailgate outside SoFi Stadium.

If his children heed his advice, they could have much to look forward to: Fieri is ending 2023 with a new three-year deal with the Food Network valued at $100 million, according to Variety.