Salt Bae burst onto the global stage in 2017 after a video of him performing his now-iconic salt sprinkling technique on a steak was posted to social media and became a viral sensation. Since then, he has opened 19 restaurants around the world, including locations in the Middle East, Greece, the United States of America and the UK, all of which charge exceptional fees for steak and wine.
So, who is the man behind the famous rounded sunglasses and bulging biceps? Read on to find out who Salt Bae is, what his net worth is, who is wife is and more.
Salt Bae Quick Facts
| Name: | Nusret Gökçe |
| Age (DOB): | 39 (Exact birthday unknown, but believed to have been born in 1983) |
| Nationality: | Turkish |
| Height: | 5 foot 5 inches / 1.67m |
| Weight: | 65kg |
| Net Worth: | $70 million (estimated) |
| Instagram: | @nusr_et – 53.9m followers |
Who Is Salt Bae?
Salt Bae – real name Nusret Gökçe – is a butcher, chef, restraunteur and “food entertainer,” from Turkey. He was born in the city of Erzurum in 1983 and went to school like any normal kid. However, his family didn’t earn much money (his father was a mineworker) and so aged around 11 or 12, Salt Bae left school and started up as a butcher’s apprentice in the district of Kadıköy in Istanbul.
Salt Bae quickly found a passion for all things meat cutting and cooking and spent his later years – between 2007 – 2010 – travelling around the likes of Argentina and the United States, working in various restaurants for free to get experience in the restaurant business. He took this experience and opened his own restaurant in Istabnul in 2010.
Salt Bae Restaurants
Salt Bae’s restaurant chain is called Nusr-Et, and now has some 20 venues around the globe. There are six restaurants in Istanbul; one each in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia; one in Knightsbridge, London, one in Mykonos and five in the USA: Los Angeles, Texas, Boston, New York and Miami.
Salt Bae’s restaurants have come under fire, however, from disgruntled guests. Some have complained the quality of the food isn’t all that great, while others have criticised the prices at Salt Bae restuarants for being far too extortionate, especially for what you get in return. In case you weren’t aware of the high prices at Salt Bae’s restaurant, we should point out that a bottle of wine at the London restaurant cost diners £10,000, and a total bill of £37,000.
But, for a once in a lifetime dining experience, Salt Bae’s steak restaurants have been heralded. If you’re lucky, the salt-sprinkling maestro will be in attendace, making the draining of your bank balance that little bit extra special.
Salt Bae Wife & Family
For all his showmanship, Salt Bae appears to live a relatively private life, as not much is known about his wife or family. He has previously posted a photo to his Instagram account that shows him surrounded by 12 children and a woman. The caption simply reads “My family,” but it’s not clear if the entire clan of children are all his, or potentially nieces and nephews. It’s also not clear if the woman in the image is his wife.
He rarely responds to questions about his family either, but considering Salt Bae himself is one of five children, it could well be that he’s always wanted a big family for himself.
Salt Bae Net Worth
Thanks to the high prices he charges in his restaurants, Salt Bae has amassed an estimated net worth of $70 million. Not bad for a kid who dropped out of school to become a butcher. It’s believed he pays himself an estimated annual salary of $20 million.
Salt Bae Fitness
When he isn’t sprinkling salt on steaks or posing for the cameras, Salt Bae can usually be found performing some form of workout to keep his body in prime state. Salt Bae’s workouts range from then intuitive to the brutal, but they all serve to help him keep his body fat percentage as low as possible.
He also, unsurprisingly, appears to follow a carnivore diet, although he has also admitted to having just a couple of glasses of water and some apricots before completing his first workout of the day, to help keep his body shredded.
Philanthropy and Work
The steak expert is not only renowned for his culinary skills but also for his philanthropic efforts and commitment to education. As a philanthropist, he donated six months’ income from his coffee shop to cater to orphans aged 18-25, totaling 1.2 million, and provided meals to over 5,000 people.
He also offered a 30% discount to all Boston students interested in attending Harvard Business School. He holds education in high esteem because he was unable to attain certain levels of education.
The chef lord, known for his ability to cook up the juiciest steaks and fastest, tastiest burgers, Salt Bae, kicked off the most important project of his life in Ibiza. This was the erection of the Ibiza rezidans restaurant. He announced the opening of his new restaurant in Istanbul, titled Kalimera, on December 14th.
Rewinding
Despite his busy schedule, he finds time for recreational activities, including visiting various luxury destinations and spending time with notable figures like Maradona, whom he wished a happy birthday with a shared picture.
In May 2023, he visited the city of luxury, Beverly Hills. The Tagenkaya Pasati village in Turkey was also his point of recreation. Mykonos, Mexico, Hollywood, the famous Khalifa in Dubai, Paris, Turkey, and Istanbul were venues for Salt Bae’s exquisite picture collections.
He spent Christmas cooking mouthwatering steak with Memphis DePay and others. He wrapped up the year by praying for all of his adorable customers and fans.
Social Media
Currently, his Instagram followers have skyrocketed to 53.9 million people, a sign that he is heavily present on the gram.
Salt Bae’s dedication to his craft is evident in his continuous expansion, with the recent addition of his 32nd restaurant to his stash of restaurants offering innovative dishes like avocado featured burgers.
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