How Much Did Joey Chestnut Win? Breaking Down His Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest Payday

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And just like that, one of the most coveted events of the year has come and gone. No, it’s not the Stanley Cup final, though that was a solid one; it is, instead, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island that has taken place every Fourth of July for the past 52 years! The origins of the contest are all based in rumor, i.e., the founder of the business spun a tale around immigrants eating hot dogs on Independence Day to prove their patriotism, and it worked; every year tens of thousands of people gather to watch competitive eating champions scoff down as many hot dogs as they can in ten minutes. There is one champion, however, who stands out far above the rest, and that is none other than Joey Chestnut.

Joey Chestnut, who was banned from the competition last year due to a partnership with a rival brand, Impossible Foods, was back this year with a bang. The sixteen-time winner went for his seventeenth win with all guns blazing and, to no one’s surprise, managed to scoff down 70.5 hot dogs in those ten minutes, not beating his own record but beating those of other competitors by miles.

Last year’s winner, Pat Bertoletti, only managed to scoff down 46.5 this year, and though he came in second, he was 11.5 short of the 58 he ate last year that resulted in his win.

But aside from the glory of being able to eat more sausage links and buns than everyone else up there, what does winning this competition mean for a competitive eater like Chestnut and Bertoletti? Well, the total prize purse for this competition stands at $40,000, meaning there’s $10,000 each for the men’s and women’s winners and $5,000 for the second placers. Third place gets $2,500, while 4th and 5th place get $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, which is a pretty solid amount for scoffing down free hotdogs!

How viable is competitive eating as a profession? Using Joey Chestnut as an example

While many haven’t as yet clocked the reality of it, competitive eating is, in fact, a recognized sport that requires training, practice, and the tactical mind of an athlete. As a result, it is also compensated handsomely, and if you think of Joey Chestnut having won the Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest seventeen times, you can assume that is a fair share of cash he’s carried back home over the years.

In fact, Chestnut claimed not that long ago that his total net worth was around $4 million, taking into consideration brand partnerships and deals. According to what he told USA Today in 2022, Chestnut makes around $500,000 per year. But this is not just through competitive eating but through sponsorships such as with the bakery company, Hostess as well as an assortment of beer brands.

July 4, 2021, Brooklyn, New York, USA: Joey Chestnut back stage at July 4th annual Nathan s hot dog eating contest in Coney Island. Brooklyn, New York.20210704 NEW Brooklyn USA – ZUMAl171 20210704_znp_l171_004 Copyright: xEdnaxLeshowitzx

However, in terms of viability, competitive eating can be highly demanding on the body, and Chestnut stands alone as someone who has been able to sustain the ‘sport’ with a somewhat steady average over the years. On the women’s side of the Nathan’s competition this year, Miki Sudo managed to win her eleventh title. She, however, only gulped down 33 hot dogs, which was substantially less than last year’s 51! Still, she takes home the cake.

So, the question of whether or not competitive eating is a viable profession really depends on how long one can sustain it. But clearly, in the case of Joey Chestnut, he’s got something superhuman going on!

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