Wolfgang Puck named Austrian of the World 2026

Star chef Wolfgang Puck has been named “Austrian of the World 2026” at the annual meeting of the World Association of Austrians in Klagenfurt, ORF reported. Around 300 participants from around the world attended the gathering, where Puck also received an honorary certificate from the province of Carinthia.

Carinthian Governor Daniel Fellner said Puck was an example of what could be achieved through discipline, ambition and courage. He praised Puck for never denying his roots in Carinthia and for taking his home region openly into the world.

Puck emigrated to the United States in 1973 at the age of 24, leaving the district of St. Veit an der Glan. He published his first cookbook in 1981 and opened his first restaurant the following year. His company now employs around 5,000 people at 70 restaurants and generates estimated total revenue of 450 million dollars.

Puck has also supported charitable causes for decades, donating more than 15 million dollars. He has previously received Austria’s Grand Silver Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria and Carinthia’s Grand Gold Medal of Honour. A square in Hörzendorf was also named Wolfgang-Puck-Platz after him.

State Parliament President Andreas Scherwitzl welcomed guests from four continents to the Wappensaal, a ceremonial hall in Klagenfurt. He noted that the Landhaus stands at the meeting point of three cultures and congratulated Puck on the award.

State Secretary Josef “Sepp” Schellhorn, who comes from the hospitality and tourism sector, praised Puck’s life’s work. He pointed to ongoing improvements in services for Austrians living abroad, including digital consular services, and said the aim was to strengthen their ties with Austria.

“Once a Carinthian, always a Carinthian,” Puck said. He described the award as a great honour and said his family, the hard lessons of his apprenticeship and the many small successes along his career had shaped him. His greatest inspiration, he said, was his mother, who was also a cook.

Puck said he had never forgotten his roots. He added that, like an old oak tree, his roots now reached deeper than they had many decades ago. He said he drew strong support from his family and his wife.

World Association President Werner Götz said the organisation represented around 640,000 people who live and work abroad for different reasons. He also highlighted the challenges surrounding the retention of Austrian citizenship. People who had been required to give it up for professional reasons often remained connected to Austria and brought valuable experience, he said.

Götz praised Puck as a bridge-builder between tradition and innovation and between Austria and the United States. “He has shown that origins are not an obstacle, but a foundation,” Götz said.