Salt Bae is something of an internet legend, even if most of us will never be able to afford to try his food.
But the meme chef also appears to be a bit of an oddball in real life and now, Dan Bilzerian has provided proof in the form of DMs from the chef.
In a screen recording of Instagram DMs, Bilzerian, 42, has shown that Salt Bae, 39, has been attempting to communicate with him for years.
Advert
He captioned the video on his Instagram Stories: "Everyone talking about how weird this Salt Bae is, I be knowing that for years [sic]."
This comes as the chef is currently in hot water after he snatched the World Cup to perform his signature sprinkle move.
The video shows that Salt Bae has, indeed, been sending the professional poker player picture upon picture upon picture for years - despite appearing to get no reply.
It's also worth noting that these images were sent to Bilzerian even though he doesn't even 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 he's literally never stopped since then.
"What a f**king goofball," Bilzerian concluded.
In case your memory needs refreshing, Salt Bae first rose to meme legend status in 2017, which means that these messages began before he'd achieved global fame.
The Turkish chef first captured the internet's imagination because of his extravagant food preparation techniques.
However, for the time being at least, public opinion appears to be against the chef after his antics at the World Cup.
The chef - whose real name is Nusret Gokce - actually broke FIFA rules when he walked onto the pitch following Argentina's victory and was seemingly allowed to touch and handle the World Cup trophy.
The footballing 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."
FIFA has yet to explain how Salt Bae appeared to get official accreditation to be on the pitch after he was photographed celebrating with Argentinian players.
His associations with footballers, however, are well known as many dine in his luxury restaurants.
Still, to be involved with the Argentine World Cup celebrations and even grabbing the iconic trophy is perhaps a step too far.
Emma Guinness