Billionaire Bill Gates famously has a McDonald's Gold Card and a well-documented love for burgers — but that doesn't mean he's opposed to fine dining. Or… does it?
On one trip to Barcelona, Gates treated his team to a private experience at ABaC — not just any restaurant, but one with not one, not two, but three Michelin stars. But according to Spanish celebrity chef Jordi Cruz, what unfolded during the visit wasn't quite what his kitchen had in mind.
On an episode of "Planeta Calleja" that aired in 2023, Cruz sat down with host Jesús Calleja and shared a story that had them both shaking their heads—and laughing.
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According to Cruz, the visit happened "some time ago." No other guests were allowed during his stay — the restaurant was reserved exclusively for Gates' group over a two-day stretch. The team at ABaC rolled out the red carpet, prepping a lineup of the restaurant's most elaborate creations—think caviar, flame-roasted guineafowl with black mole, and strawberry kakigōri topped with tonka beans.
So what did Gates order?
"A Diet Coke," Cruz said. "And then he went back to his plane."
Calleja asked, "He didn't try anything?"
"Zero," the chef confirmed, still stunned even years later. "We had prepared the best dishes for him to eat."
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While Gates' 25-person entourage reportedly did enjoy the tasting menu—priced at roughly $313 per person—Cruz seemed less amused that his kitchen spent two days closed off from other guests, only to see the guest of honor sip a soda and vanish.
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"Do you think you have to close a nice place to come and drink a cola?" Cruz asked rhetorically. He clarified that the team still gave it their all, even if the star guest wasn't there for the main event. "At least the little team did their best," he added with a laugh.
Now 69, Gates is famously known for his love of Diet Coke—often sipping it at meetings, interviews, and even his desk. In a 2014 GatesNotes blog post, he wrote: "Once I'm at the office, I usually open a can of Diet Coke. Over the course of the day I might drink three or four."
His fellow billionaire friend Warren Buffett shares the same fizzy loyalty to soda, so perhaps the move wasn't as shocking to those who know him well. Cruz, on the other hand, seemed genuinely baffled.
"There are people who have money, who are a bit fed up with everything and value it less," he mused during the show, airing while he and Calleja traveled through Central Greece, bonding over food and rock climbing.
Newsweek reportedly reached out to Gates for comment when they first ran the story, but no update or response had been added.
As for why Gates skipped the meal himself, it's anyone's guess. His team did dine, so maybe the reservation was more of a thoughtful gesture than a personal craving. Either way, the crew at ABaC probably won't forget the day they cleared the books, prepared a $313 tasting menu…and served one Diet Coke to one of the richest men in the world.
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