Who Is Joey Chestnut? Watch Video Of Man Breaking World Record For 32 Big Macs In 38 Minutes
This is a truly impressive feat.
Getty Images When it comes to beating world records, we've seen humans put their minds to accomplishing some seriously incredible things... but this one is a true triumph of the human spirit.
This week, a man named Joey Chestnut beat the world record for most Big Macs eaten in one sitting, and yes, there is video to prove it.
So who is Joey Chestnut and how did he manage to crush such a world record? Here's what you need to know, plus the incredible video.
1. Chestnut Ate 32 Big Macs in one sitting.
Though Chestnut officially broke the Big Mac record on February 12, he didn't share the video of his accomplishment to YouTube until March 5, when he showed that he had eaten 32 of the famous McDonalds' double cheeseburgers in just 38 minutes. This means that Chestnut ate 15.36 pounds of meat in only a little more than a half an hour — something that few people would be able to even come close to achieving, since so far, Chestnut is the only one who's been able to do it.
2. Big Macs mean something extra special to Chestnut.
In the description of his world record breaking video, Chestnut shared that he loved Big Macs because they reminded him of his grandfather.
"I remember being a little kid and they would sell two Big Macs for $4 and me and my grandpa would get four of them," Chestnut wrote. "I’d end up eating three. And this is bringing me back to being a kid. Me and my grandpa would go back to the same McDonald’s every time. And it’s crazy, when I drive by that McDonald’s I still kinda just think about it. I think about all the times I was there with my grandpa and it’s weird the way that food takes you back and helps you remember things. With Big Macs, I definitely remember my grandpa."
3. He has broken a lot of competitive eating records in the past.
Not only has Chestnut been a 12-time winner of the annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest, which is held on the July 4, but he's also broken many other records involving other kinds of foods. He's also broken the record for chicken wings, having managed to put away 412 of them over the course of 12 hours at Hooters, and in his competitive eating career, he's also branched out to several different food groups as well.
4. Chestnut is ranked first in the world in Major League Eating.
Chestnut holds the number one title in Major League Eating (and yes, that is a real thing).
"Chestnut defeated Kobayashi at the 2007 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contests to return the Mustard Yellow Belt to the United States," says his bio on the MLE site. "That victory was the start of an unprecedented eight-year run at the top of the Nathan’s Hot Dog World; Chestnut was undefeated at the event he made his own through 2014. He regained the title in the 2016 Championship to earn his ninth title. He also holds the world hot dogs eating record — an incredible 74 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, at the time of writing."
5. He competed on The Amazing Race in 2018.
It's not just eating that Chestnut is competitive in. He also appeared on The Amazing Race In 2018, paired up with fellow competitive eater Timothy Janus. However, Chestnut seemed to be a better eater than he was at this particular competition, since he and Janus came in eighth.
6. Chestnut says he'll continue competitive eating until he can't do it anymore.
In an interview last year, Chestnut said he'll keeping eating as long as it's still fun for him — even if he doesn't continue to hold his world records.
“As long as I’m healthy, as long as I’m still having fun, I’m going to do it. Even if someone comes and beats me, I’m still going to be having fun," he said at the time. "The contests are so addicting and I love it. It’s just one of those things that bring people together, and even if I feel bad when I’m older, I’ll find a way to be involved in it a little bit.”
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.