Dan Bilzerian once claimed to have known for years that Salt Bae is 'weird', saying he was inundated with DMs from the viral chef.
Salt Bae shot to fame after his signature technique for preparing and seasoning food became an internet meme.
The Turkish chef also owns a chain of luxury steakhouses that serve insanely expensive dishes, including a £1,450 giant tomahawk steak that's covered in gold leaf.
Advert
But behind his internet persona, Salt Bae - whose real name is Nusret Gökçe Erzurum - is said to be somewhat of an oddball, with DMs shared by Dan Bilzerian revealing the extent of his quirkiness.
In a screen recording of his Instagram DMs back in 2022, the American poker player showed how Salt Bae had been trying to get in touch with him for years.
He shared the screen recording on his Instagram Stories with the caption: "Everyone talking about how weird this Salt Bae is, I be knowing that for years [sic]."
Advert
The video shows that Salt Bae has been sending Bilzerian picture after picture for years, despite never receiving a reply.
It's also worth noting that these images were sent to 43-year-old Bilzerian, even though he doesn't follow the chef on Instagram.
The images themselves range from pictures of Salt Bae with a puppy, pictures of him wielding knives next to stakes, shirtless snaps and more.
The chef began what we can only assume was an attempt to befriending Bilzerian back in 2015, and doesn't seem to have stopped since.
Advert
"What a f**king goofball," Bilzerian concluded.
This came after the 40-year-old chef landed himself in hot water after he snatched the World Cup to perform his signature sprinkle move back in 2022.
Public opinion turned against Salt Bae when he broke FIFA's rules at the 2022 World Cup when he walked onto the pitch following Argentina's victory and was seemingly allowed to touch the World Cup trophy.
The football organisation's website states of the trophy: "Its current design dates back to 1974. As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original Fifa World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the Fifa World Cup and heads of state."
Advert
Following the incident in which he was also called out for harassing players on the pitch, Salt Bae claimed he will 'never set foot on a World Cup pitch again'.
In a statement to The Times, he said: "I didn’t go on the pitch with the purpose of advertising; I just felt like it. Then it was a bit of a surprise. There were at least another 1,000 people on the pitch but when they show the video they make out it was just me.
"I never, ever wanted to overshadow anything. I didn’t like the attention. I didn’t kick anyone, steal anything.
"It was a special moment. I can’t do anything about the reason I was there, but I would never, ever step on the World Cup pitch again."
Bec Oakes