Let me set the scene: You’re scrolling through Italian food Twitter and suddenly the entire country is in a frenzy over a pizza that costs €65. Not a pizza feast. Not a tasting menu. One. Single. Pizza.

That’s where we are, and honestly? I’m obsessed.

Meet Flavio Briatore: The Billionaire Who Loves Luxury

Flavio Briatore isn’t your average restaurant owner. This Cuneo-born entrepreneur has managed Michael Schumacher’s F1 career, transformed Benetton into a global brand, and owned everything from Qatar’s finest establishments to London’s trendiest spots. His restaurant chain, Crazy Pizza, has locations in Monte Carlo, Dubai, Milan, Rome—basically anywhere wealthy people congregate.

The menu is exactly what you’d expect: a basic Margherita starts at €14. But order it with Pata Negra, that €300-per-kilo Spanish jamón ibérico? That’ll be €65, please.

The Spark That Ignited Everything

On June 19th, Briatore gave an interview to Vanity Fair Italy. When asked about his pricing, he said something that would haunt him: “I don’t understand how anyone makes money on a four-euro pizza. Who knows what’s in it?”

Four words in Italian. That’s all it took.

If you don’t live in Italy, you need to understand something: pizza isn’t just food here. It’s democracy on a plate. In Naples—pizza’s actual birthplace—a pizza a portafoglio costs €1.50. A proper Margherita? About €7. This isn’t aspirational pricing. This is the soul of Italian food culture.

When a Whole Country Claps Back

The internet didn’t just respond. It organized. “La pizza è un piatto popolare!” (Pizza is people’s food!) became the rallying cry. Food creators rushed to Crazy Pizza to film honest reviews—spoiler alert, they weren’t kind. Professional pizzaiolos like Errico Porzio broke down everything from dough to oven temperature, basically saying “nice try, but no.”

And then Briatore doubled down. His replies were absolutely unhinged:

“You defending cheap pizza is exactly why I’m a billionaire and you’re not.”

“Naples doesn’t have a monopoly on pizza. I actually prefer Salerno’s.”

“I’m opening a Crazy Pizza in Naples. Anyone want to help me find a location?”

“Naples’ prices will be even higher.”

I literally gasped. The audacity.

From Twitter War to National Television

This escalated faster than anyone expected. Gino Sorbillo and Francesco Borrelli—literal legends of Neapolitan pizza—launched a #pizzagratis campaign, offering free pizza as a statement: “Pizza exists for regular people. What Briatore said disrespects every pizza maker and every person who can’t even afford this ‘people’s food.'”

Then RAI 1’s Porta a Porta—prime-time national television—announced they’d be hosting Briatore, Sorbillo, and 2021’s best pizza maker Ivano Veccia on the same panel, moderated by journalist Bruno Vespa. This isn’t just food gossip anymore. This is cultural discourse on a national stage.

Why This Actually Matters

Look, I could mock Briatore all day. But what fascinates me is what this reveals about food culture. In Italy, there’s a real belief that the best things shouldn’t be gatekept by wealth—that a perfect pizza, made with respect and tradition, belongs to everyone. Briatore tried to make “gourmet pizza” and “elite pizza” into categories. Italy said: absolutely not.

Sometimes the best food stories aren’t about recipes. They’re about what people are willing to fight for.

I’ll be watching Porta a Porta with a very large bowl of pasta. This is going to be incredible.