New Champions Emerge in Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest Amid Chestnut Controversy

There’s a new top dog in the frankfurter eating world.

Patrick Bertoletti won Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, the annual competition held on July 4, marking the end of an era after 16-time winner Joey Chestnut’s falling out with the event’s organizer, Major League Eating (MLE).

Bertoletti, 39, from Illinois, consumed 58 hot dogs in this year’s 10-minute event, earning him the Mustard Yellow Belt in the men’s category. Miki Sudo set a new record in the women’s division with 51 wieners downed.

After the dispute between Chestnut and MLE, MLE announced last month that it was parting ways with Chestnut, citing a rule that participants cannot strike endorsement deals with rivals of hot dog maker Nathan’s. MLE alleged that Chestnut had partnered with a plant-based meat alternative company. Chestnut, also known as “Jaws,” has recently begun posting images on Instagram that feature Impossible Foods.

“For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions,” MLE said in a statement in June. “However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different hot dog brand over our long-time relationship.”

Chestnut responded in a statement at the time that he was “gutted to learn from the media” of his banishment after 19 years. The 40-year-old claimed he did not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s and said the endorsement ban was a departure from the organization’s rules around partnerships in prior years.

“I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th, and I have been training to defend my title,” he said last month.

During ESPN’s broadcast of the 2024 contest, the channel frequently mentioned Chestnut and what the competition looks like without him. In one reference, Chestnut was referred to as the “Warren Buffett of the buffet.”

Chestnut fans can still see him in action this holiday.

He’s livestreaming a hot dog eating contest from the Fort Bliss Army Base in Texas as a fundraiser for charity, according to a recent Instagram post. The show begins at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday.

“The 4th wouldn’t be the same if I wasn’t celebrating by eating a whole lot of all-beef hot dogs,” he wrote.