Age: 48
Occupation: Chef
Previous TIME 100 Appearances: 1
Adrià is undoubtedly the most innovative chef of the past decade because of the inventive and artful cuisine he presents at his restaurant El Bulli on Spain's Costa Brava, which is usually open just six months a year. Now he has upped the ante on his rivals and stunned the foodie world by declaring that he is going to close El Bulli for two years and turn it into a think tank that will generate even more avant-garde dishes. Does playing hard to get help make him more influential?