Raised on a farm in southwest France, he trained under legendary culinary masters before surviving a near-fatal 1984 plane crash and going on to make history as the first chef to hold three Michelin stars across three different restaurants simultaneously (Le Louis XV in Monaco, Plaza Athénée in Paris, and The Dorchester in London). Today, he leads the international hospitality empire DUCASSE Paris, championing Naturalité—a lighter, plant-forward style of haute cuisine—alongside global culinary schools, publishing, and even gourmet meals created for astronauts in space