XXL mustache and always a smile on his lips: This is how we know cash for Rares legend Horst Lichter. Since 2013 he has been delighting fans as a junk uncle on ZDF, but behind the facade the cult presenter’s life didn’t always look rosy. On a talk show, Horst Lichter unpacks one of the worst low points of his life: He was over a million euros in debt. This is how the financial drama arose.
Horst Lichter today: Extremely popular, extremely successful
Horst Lichter became known to an audience of millions at Bares for Rares, but even before that he could look back on a career as a restaurateur and TV chef. With shows like Lafer! Lights! Yummy! Horst Lichter’s Rhenish humor was extremely well received – perhaps even better than his food. So it’s no wonder that he became more and more present on TV.
At the latest with cash for Rares, he rose to the TV Olympus: The afternoon show hit like a bomb and has been one of the most successful formats on TV since 2013. And it’s also worth it financially: We only recently reported on the incredibly high sum that Horst Lichter earns on the show. This is how much fun Lichter has on set:
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“I was completely bankrupt”: Horst Lichter admits debts amounting to millions
Horst Lichter has been riding the wave of success for decades, but he still found himself in a debt trap. On the talk show Dinner Party he revealed how this came about. In the 90s, Horst Lichter was an extremely successful restaurateur and ran a well-attended restaurant. His second wife at the time took care of the bookkeeping, but then she filed for divorce.
When Horst Lichter suddenly became responsible for the finances himself, then came the shock: “Then it came out at some point […]that I am actually not only deeply in debt, but extremely in debt.” During the emotional conversation, he admits how high his debts really were: “I was completely bankrupt. I had a million euros worth of crap.”
His third wife helped him out of his misery: Horst Lichter fought against the debts
Horst Lichter’s life would have changed completely in one fell swoop, because due to the debts, Horst Lichter could not continue the business as usual: “Then things will really go wrong for you.”
Then Lichter’s third wife, Nada, came into his life. The Croatian-born woman was working in his restaurant at the time and things were said to have worked out after the breakup. When Nada found out about Lichter’s debts, she selflessly helped him out:
When she realized what was going on, even though we had only been together for maybe six months or three quarters of a year, she came over and said: ‘Listen, I’ve saved some money, I’ll give you all my money now.’
With this money Lichter was able to save the restaurant from the banks; Together the couple fought their way out of debt. A short time later, Horst Lichter’s TV career began and secured the couple’s financial situation. After almost 30 years, Horst and Nada Lichter are still happily married.
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TV broadcast & streaming: This is how you can watch Cash for Rares for free
If you want to see more Horst Lichter, you’ll find what you’re looking for on TV: Cash for Rares is on Monday to Friday at 3:05 p.m. on ZDF. The latest episodes can be streamed for free in the ZDF media library.