Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe, who is under investigation by Fifa for entering the field without permission after the World Cup final, is a regular in controversy, especially for the steaks covered in gold he offers in his chain of luxury restaurants.
These trappings of wealth wrapped in edible 24-carat precious metal foil fetch upwards of $500, but aren’t to everyone’s liking, especially British and American food critics who call them “mundane” and “tasteless.”
In 2018, angry Venezuelans protested in Miami when he welcomed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose country is plunged into a serious economic crisis, to his restaurant in Istanbul.
Many personalities go to its restaurants
But “Salt Bae” isn’t complaining about the reviews. Because the Turkish chef attracts politicians and football stars (Deschamps, Maradona, Beckham, Messi, Mbappé, Ribéry) to his 22 establishments located around the world, from Beverly Hills to London via Qatar.
“All publicity is good publicity,” once commented the chef, whose fortune is estimated by the press at 70 million dollars. The 39-year-old has become an internet star thanks to videos where he is seen seasoning meat theatrically, not depriving himself of sexual allusions when he throws coarse salt on the steaks.
Her iconic image and gestures, carefully cultivated on social media, have been instrumental in her rise to global celebrity status.
An embarrassing presence at Argentina’s celebrations
Sunday, after the World Cup final, he inexplicably entered the lawn of the Lusail stadium in Doha. Footage even shows him kissing the trophy, which in principle can only be touched by world champions, Fifa officials or heads of state.
On others we see him trying to grab Messi’s arm, visibly irritated, or biting a player’s medal.
Fifa is carrying out an investigation to find out how he was able to gain access to the pitch without having any official connection to football, even though he claims an alleged closeness to Fifa President Gianni Infantino.
Thus, on a video he shared on Instagram where he has 50 million subscribers, we see him hugging the boss of world football several times, who introduces him to personalities during a reception. in Qatar.