Salt Bae Downfall: Net Worth Loss and Restaurant Closures

You probably remember the guy who sprinkles salt like he’s conducting an orchestra. Nusret Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae, parlayed one viral moment in 2017 into a global luxury steakhouse empire. But by mid-2025, that empire had visibly shrunk, with four of his US restaurants closing down and his UK business posting a record loss of £5.4 million.

Instagram Followers: 50 million ·
Restaurant Locations Closed (2025): 4 (Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills) ·
Price of Signature Steak: £600 ·
Year Became Viral Meme: 2017 ·
Real Name: Nusret Gökçe

Five key facts, one pattern: Salt Bae’s online fame never translated into reliable restaurant profit, and the gap only widened after a single high-profile misstep.

The table below captures the core identifiers of the man behind the meme, from his real name to his birth year and known for.

What has happened to Salt Bae?

Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, built a global luxury restaurant chain called Nusr-Et on the back of a single viral video. By 2024, the shine had worn off. The Telegraph (UK business reporting) reported that the UK entity behind Nusr-Et posted a pre-tax loss of £5.4 million, as diners lost appetite for £600 steaks. The contraction in the United States was even starker: Nusr-Et shrank from seven locations in 2023 to just two by mid-2025, with closures in Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills.

Where is Salt Bae now?

AS English (sports and culture news) notes that Salt Bae remains active mainly in the Middle East, despite his diminished Western footprint. His personal social media still draws millions of views, but the restaurant expansion spree has clearly reversed.

The implication: the brand that was supposed to be a global luxury franchise is now a two-city US operation, tethered to the original viral hit that made him famous.

Why was Salt Bae cancelled?

The controversy that amplified Salt Bae’s decline happened on football’s biggest stage. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup final (People, celebrity and culture news), Salt Bae entered the pitch, approached Lionel Messi, and touched the World Cup trophy — a privilege FIFA describes as reserved for “a very select group of people.” The incident was widely viewed as intrusive and cringeworthy, and FIFA announced it was investigating how he gained unauthorized access.

What did Salt Bae do to Messi?

A video of Salt Bae trying to get Lionel Messi’s attention during the World Cup celebration went viral, framed largely as an awkward and unwelcome intrusion. According to Sportskeeda (football news site), Salt Bae later stated, “It was my mistake. I’ll never touch the World Cup again.” He has also reportedly promised to follow the rules at future World Cups.

The catch: what seemed like a triumphant selfie moment turned into a reputational blow that tarred the brand at exactly the time it was already overextended.

Is Salt Bae a millionaire?

Salt Bae is likely still a millionaire on paper, but the trend line is not good. The record £5.4 million pre-tax loss reported by The Telegraph (UK business reporting) for his UK arm indicates serious financial strain. AS English (sports and culture news) adds that profits fell by more than 30% in a single year.

What is Salt Bae’s net worth?

Exact net worth remains unconfirmed. Mashed (food culture site) describes Nusr-Et as down to 17 restaurants globally, compared with 31 units in 2024 — a 45% contraction. With fewer locations and declining per-unit revenue, the personal fortune that Salt Bae once displayed on Instagram is likely shrinking.

What this means: even if Salt Bae retains a multimillion-dollar net worth, the operational losses and closures signal that the brand’s peak valuation has passed.

Is Salt Bae restaurant struggling?

Yes, and the numbers are stark. The Beverly Hills Nusr-Et Steakhouse closed abruptly in June 2025 after operating for just four years, as reported by Eater LA (restaurant industry news). That closure followed the shuttering of locations in Dallas, Boston, and Las Vegas. Mashed (food culture site) says five US Nusr-Et restaurants had closed by June 2025, leaving only the Miami and New York City outposts.

Is Salt Bae restaurant closed?

Four US locations have closed. The remaining two — Miami and New York City — are still operating, according to Eater LA (restaurant industry news). Beverly Weekly (local news) describes the Beverly Hills closure as part of a wider US contraction from seven locations in 2023 to two by mid-2025.

The pattern: the luxury steakhouse model that worked in a post-viral moment could not sustain multiple locations at £600 per steak when the novelty faded.

What is Salt Bae’s real job?

Salt Bae, real name Nusret Gökçe, is a Turkish butcher, chef, and restaurateur. He founded the Nusr-Et chain of luxury steak houses, which began in Turkey and expanded to the US, UK, and Middle East. According to Wikipedia (online encyclopedia), he was born in 1983 in Turkey and trained as a butcher before opening his first restaurant.

Who is Nusret Gökçe?

Nusret Gökçe is the man behind the meme. He worked as a butcher in Istanbul before moving to Argentina to learn steak preparation, then returned to open Nusr-Et in 2010. The viral salt-sprinkling video from January 2017 turned him into a global internet phenomenon and made “Salt Bae” a household name.

The trade-off: the meme made him famous, but it also made it hard for the public to see him as a serious restaurateur rather than a novelty act.

How did Salt Bae become a meme?

In January 2017, a video of Nusret Gökçe preparing meat and sprinkling salt with an exaggerated, theatrical arm motion went viral. The clip was shared millions of times on social media, and “Salt Bae” became an enduring internet meme. His Instagram following exploded to 50 million people, as documented by Wikipedia (online encyclopedia).

What was the viral salt-sprinkling gesture?

The gesture involved Gökçe holding a pinch of salt above his forearm, then flicking it dramatically onto a steak. The move was widely imitated, parodied, and turned into gifs and reaction images. It became a shorthand for “extra” in internet culture.

The irony: the same gesture that made him rich is now the one that critics use to frame him as a gimmick who never evolved beyond a single viral moment.

Timeline of Salt Bae’s rise and fall

• January 2017: Viral meme “Salt Bae” created from video of Nusret Gökçe sprinkling salt (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
• December 2022: Salt Bae approaches Lionel Messi during World Cup trophy ceremony, draws widespread criticism (People (celebrity and culture news)).
• 2024: Reports of declining revenue and customer loss at Nusr-Et locations (AS English (sports and culture news)).
• Mid-2025: Closure of restaurants in Dallas, Boston, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills (Eater LA (restaurant industry news)).
• October 2025: UK entity posts pre-tax loss of £5.4 million (The Telegraph (UK business reporting)).

Confirmed facts and what remains unclear

Some facts are firmly established, while others rely on lower-confidence sources or remain unresolved.

Confirmed facts

• Salt Bae is Nusret Gökçe, a Turkish butcher and restaurateur (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
• He became a viral internet meme in January 2017 (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
• He touched the World Cup trophy and Messi in 2022 and apologized (People (celebrity and culture news)).
• Four US restaurants closed by mid-2025 (Eater LA (restaurant industry news)).
• UK business suffered a record pre-tax loss of £5.4 million (The Telegraph (UK business reporting)).

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth and extent of financial losses (The Telegraph (UK business reporting)).
• Whether remaining Nusr-Et locations are profitable (Mashed (food culture site)).
• Future plans for the brand beyond Middle East operations (AS English (sports and culture news)).

“It was my mistake. I’ll never touch the World Cup again.”

— Nusret Gökçe (Salt Bae), quoted by Sportskeeda (football news site)

The World Cup trophy was described by FIFA as a “priceless icon” that only a very select group of people can touch and hold.

— People (celebrity and culture news)

The Salt Bae story is a case study in the gap between internet fame and sustainable business. A 2017 meme and 50 million Instagram followers built a global steakhouse chain. But when the novelty wore off — and a World Cup controversy accelerated the decline — the brand contracted faster than it expanded. For aspiring celebrity restaurateurs, the lesson is clear: viral fame can open doors, but only a real-world product that delivers consistent value keeps them open. For Salt Bae, those doors have been closing, one location at a time.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Gino D’Acampo’s Debt, Net Worth, and Current Status — another celebrity chef whose brand faced financial and reputational challenges.
• Rachel Zegler: Biography, Controversy, and Key Facts — a celebrity navigating the intersection of viral fame and public backlash.