You’ve probably heard of the high-end restaurant chain Nobu.
Robert De Niro is a Hollywood legend. The Oscar-winning actor has led many high-value productions and enjoyed a lauded career. Though many fans know him for his onscreen work, few know the star is also an astute businessman. Decades ago, De Niro partnered with celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa to open his renowned restaurant, Nobu. Its success has led Nobu Matsuhisa’s net worth to expand to an estimated $200 million, making him one of the world’s wealthiest chefs.
Robert De Niro’s role in Nobu Matsuhisa’s rise to prominence
Robert De Niro and Nobu Matsuhisa in 2017 | George Pimentel/Getty Images
You’ve probably heard of the high-end restaurant chain Nobu. Its locations have hosted countless celebs, including the Kardashian-Jenner sisters, Megan Fox, and Justin and Hailey Bieber. Its co-founder is Nobu Matsuhisa. And though he may be a renowned chef, he didn’t come by his success easily.
Matsuhisa began traveling the world at a young age. His journeys exposed him to the world’s cuisine. Matsuhisa began working as a dishwasher at restaurants in Tokyo, Japan. He used his time at the Matsue Sushi restaurant to perfect his culinary skills.
After working at the restaurant for almost a decade, one of the regulars invited him to open a Japanese restaurant in Peru at the age of 24. Matsuhisa couldn’t find Japanese ingredients in that country, so he had to improvise. During this time, he originated and cultivated his fusion styles of using Peruvian ingredients in Japanese meals.
Three years later, the restaurant closed, and Matsuhisa moved to Los Angeles. He worked at a Japanese eatery for a year before opening his eponymous restaurant in Beverly Hills. It wasn’t until 1988 that De Niro’s and Matsuhisa’s paths crossed.
According to Eater, the chef wasn’t familiar with the actor’s work. However, De Niro liked Nobu’s dishes so much that he quickly became a regular. A year later, the star approached Matsuhisa with a business proposal to start a restaurant together.
Matsuhisa said he didn’t want to open another eatery due to his busy schedule. So De Niro dropped the subject and partnered with Drew Nieporent to start Tribeca Grill. Four years later, De Niro threw the topic around again, and this time, Matsuhisa was ready.
They partnered with other industry elites to start Nobu New York. The chef suspected De Niro didn’t expect Nobu would be a success, saying he thought the actor simply wanted to enjoy Nobu’s meals in New York without having to fly to LA.
Nobu Matsuhisa’s net worth makes him 1 of the world’s richest chefs
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa opened his first restaurant in 1987. Now, he owns 47 restaurants, and there are six Nobu hotels around the world pic.twitter.com/YclQW3KHtd
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) January 6, 2021
Since partnering with the Raging Bull actor, the chef has expanded his reach and opened 50 restaurants, including Matsuhisa outposts. According to Wealthy Gorilla, Nobu Matsuhisa’s net worth is a staggering $200 million. Aside from standing atop a multimillion-dollar restaurant empire, …read more
Source:: Showbiz Cheat Sheet
