Remember Salt Bae? This name caused a social media frenzy a few years ago, a Turkish chef famous for his magical salt sprinkling style. That 36-second video was shared by Bruno Mars, then exploded across the internet, and Salt Bae went from a small restaurant owner to a global icon. His salt-sprinkling pose — left foot kneeling, right hand raised, salt grains sliding down his arm and landing precisely on the meat — was truly a perfect spectacle.

No one expected that, within just a few years, the name Salt Bae would become a symbol of downfall. His culinary empire is now shaky, losing up to 5.4 million pounds, with only two of his seven steak restaurants barely holding on. Over the years, he expanded too quickly — from Istanbul to Miami, New York, London, Dubai, Mykonos, totaling 31 branches worldwide. The 24-karat gold-wrapped steaks priced at 700 pounds in London, the gold-plated burger at 100 pounds, the gold-dusted beef in Dubai costing 1250 dirhams — all sold because of the Salt Bae name.

Back then, he flew back and forth like a bird, spending every week in Turkey, Dubai, then Miami, just to serve customers. Beckham, Messi, Leonardo DiCaprio, even Dubai’s Prime Minister were his clients. He owned two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, once even flew just to eat a high-end steak. Life was excessively luxurious, and incredibly fast.

But from 2023, negative voices began to emerge. Customers complained that they paid 500 pounds for Salt Bae to cut their steak, but he was simultaneously wearing headphones and talking to someone else while cutting. Employees in London accused of being fired on the spot over minor issues, while staff in New York claimed unpaid wages and reduced tips.

An anonymous female employee described the working environment under Salt Bae as very stressful, with long hours being normal, even monitoring water drinking or bathroom breaks. He was portrayed as hostile, even demanding employees give him foot massages during dinner service. And those expensive steaks? It was revealed they were simply wrapped in cheap edible gold, sold for a few hundred pounds more.

A lawsuit from female employee Elizabeth Cruz in New York accused management of requiring her to wear short dresses and high heels, leading to sexual harassment. Although she later settled privately, the toxic work culture could not be hidden.

There’s another thing — Salt Bae had appeared multiple times with Diddy, from restaurants in London to nightclubs in Dubai, even invited to cook at Diddy’s mansion. In 2017, he attended Diddy’s New Year’s Eve party in Miami, calling Diddy the greatest genius. But now, with Diddy embroiled in scandalous sexual misconduct allegations, that relationship has also become a negative mark for Salt Bae.

There’s one more incident — at the 2022 World Cup, when Argentina won, Salt Bae suddenly stormed onto the field, hugged Messi, kissed the trophy, and disrupted the celebration. FIFA had to investigate, and he later apologized, claiming he was excited, but netizens didn’t believe him, criticizing him for trying to attract attention.

Salt Bae’s story is truly a lesson in fame in the social media age. Success can come very quickly, but when the glamour fades, if there’s no solid foundation, the downfall can be even faster. A chef, a viral video, and then years watching his empire crumble piece by piece.