Meet Caroline Byron, the gluten-free celebrity chef who married billionaire Alan Howard

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British billionaire Alan Howard tied-the-knot with celebrity chef Caroline Byron at a very lavish and star-studded wedding in Italy over the weekend – which saw a slew of celebrity guests like Pixie Lott and Lady Gaga, who took to the stage to perform for the new couple and their guests.

The founder of the highly profitable Brevan Howard Asset Management hedge fund, 59 – who, according to Forbes, boasts a personal net worth of $1.6 billion – exchanged vows with the American cook, 33 at the exquisite Villa Olmo in Como, Italy.

But who is the woman who stole the billionaire’s heart? Caroline is a former model-turned-gluten-free-baker and pastry chef who was born and raised in New York.

British billionaire Alan Howard tied-the-knot with celebrity chef Caroline Byron at a very lavish and star-studded wedding in Italy over the weekend

Who is the woman who stole the billionaire’s heart? Caroline is a former model-turned-gluten-free-baker who hails from New York. From her romance with the businessman to her own achievements, here’s everything we know about Caroline…

Alan, who is a former Salomon Brothers bond trader, founded Brevan Howard in 2003 and the firm has now grown to become the world’s fourth-largest hedge fund with $24 billion run by 300 staff

After suffering from a severe case of Lyme disease as a kid, she found herself stuck at home unable to attend school or do any physical activity, so she fell in love with baking.

However, when it came time for her to attend college, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to cook professionally or if it was just a hobby, and tried her hand at numerous other careers – dropping out of college twice – before eventually finding herself at the French Culinary Institute in New York.

While studying at the Culinary Institute, Caroline was plagued with more health problems – she was gaining weight, couldn’t sleep, and felt ‘exhausted’ all the time.

But after switching to a gluten-free diet, she saw a sudden improvement in the way she felt. Now, she has dedicated her life to teaching others about ‘how changing to a gluten-free diet can be transformational.’

She has written her own cookbook, launched her own catering company, and often shares recipes and tips to her online blog, under the name Simply Caro.

But how did she meet Alan, how long have they been together, and what else do we know about their relationship? FEMAIL has rounded up all the details on their high profile romance.

From her romantic love story with the businessman to her own personal achievements, here’s everything we know about Caroline…

Who is Caroline? How the cook overcame her battle with Lyme disease and discovered her love for baking

After suffering from a severe case of Lyme disease as a kid, she found herself stuck at home unable to attend school or do any physical activity, so she fell in love with baking. Caroline is seen as a child

‘I started with simple recipes but became more ambitious over the years, loving the freedom of expression cooking gave me,’ she wrote on her website. ‘Cooking remained my favorite hobby throughout high school, but I saw it as simply that – a hobby’

Caroline first started her career as a model (pictured) but wasn’t sure if it was right for her. Unsure of her career path, she switched from school to school – describing herself as ‘completely directionless’

But her love of cooking ensued and eventually, she enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York. Caroline is seen in 2014 (left) and in a throwback picture taken on an unknown date (right)

Caroline went through a period of ‘bad health’ from age 10 to 18, suffering from the tick-born illness Lyme disease.

‘Being immersed in cooking and learning French cuisine was an incredible, rewarding, and challenging experience,’ she gushed on her website. She is seen in 2013

She explained on her website that at age 12, her ‘health condition was so poor’ that she spent a lot of time at home, ‘unable to do any of her old, more physical hobbies’ – so she turned to baking.

‘I started with simple recipes but became more creative and ambitious over the years, loving the freedom of expression cooking gave me,’ she wrote.

‘Cooking remained my favorite hobby throughout high school and then college, but I saw it as simply that – a hobby.’

Caroline first started her career as a model but wasn’t sure if it was right for her. Unsure of her career path, she switched from school to school – describing herself as ‘completely directionless.’

But her love of cooking ensued and eventually, she enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in New York.

‘Being immersed in cooking and learning French cuisine was an incredible, rewarding, and challenging experience,’ she gushed on her website.

However, she said her health started to deteriorate due to her ‘unhealthy lifestyle.’

‘I was exhausted all the time and gaining weight, had poor sleep and digestion, and my skin was an inflamed mess,’ she continued.

‘It wasn’t until I graduated that I realized what was making me sick – my daily diet of delicious baguettes, croissants, tarts and pasta at school.’

Caroline then switched to a completely gluten-free diet, explaining that she felt a ‘total change in her body’ within one month of making the change.

While studying at the Culinary Institute, Caroline (pictured left in 2017 and right 2018) was plagued with more health problems – she was gaining weight, couldn’t sleep, and felt ‘exhausted’ all the time

Caroline (seen last year) then switched to a completely gluten-free diet, explaining that she felt a ‘total change in her body’ within one month of making the change

Now, she has dedicated her life to teaching others about ‘how changing to a gluten-free diet can be transformational’ and to teach others how to make the food they love ‘in a new, healthier, and better form’

She has written her own cookbook, launched her own catering company, and often shares recipes and tips to her online blog, under the name Simply Caro

She and Alan welcomed a daughter sometime during 2021, but they have yet to share the little girl’s name. She kept the entire pregnancy a secret until six-months after she gave birth. She is pictured with the baby in May

Changing to gluten-free cooking was a challenge, but she was up for the task, dedicated to making the food she loved ‘in a new, healthier, and better form.’

Caroline counts stars and royalty, including Princess Beatrice, among her friends (pictured together in 2015)

‘Rather than feeling deprived as I initially expected, eating gluten-free has been an incredibly full and healing diet for me and has extended into every part of my life,’ she said on her website.

‘I’ve become much more conscious of everything that I eat and I truly believe that food is medicine and that in some sense we become what we eat.

‘Now that I’ve experienced first hand how changing to a gluten free diet can be transformational in your life, I want to share that knowledge with others.’

Caroline – who now counts Princess Beatrice among her friends – released her own gluten-free cookbook, entitled Gluten-Free, Naturally, back in 2020. She often posts recipes and cooking tips to her website, and offers catering through her brand, Simply Caro.

She and Alan welcomed a daughter sometime during 2021, but they have yet to share the little girl’s name and hid her face in the few photos that were shared.

She kept the entire pregnancy a secret until six-months after she gave birth, announcing on Instagram in May, ‘I’ve been a little busy over the last few months… I’m so excited to share that last year I became a mama!’

‘Motherhood is a journey I feel blessed to be on. It’s been the biggest adventure and we’re only just beginning. And, now that my daughter is over six months old, we’ve started weaning.

‘So in addition to my usual gluten-free food posts, get ready for plenty of baby food recipes and thoughts from a first time mama.’

Inside her and Alan’s romance: How she met and fell in love with the billionaire hedge fund manager

Unfortunately, Alan and Caroline have kept many details of their romance under wraps. Caroline never posts about her new-husband on Instagram and he doesn’t use social media, so there is not a lot known on when their relationship started

The couple technically got married amid the early days of the pandemic in 2020, but they headed to Italy this month to throw a glamorous wedding celebration

It’s been reported that Alan paid more than $1.3 million to close the 18th-century lakeside mansion where they tied the knot for nearly a month – angering nearby residents over the month-long closure

Unfortunately, Alan and Caroline have kept many details of their romance under wraps.

Caroline never posts about her new-husband on Instagram and he doesn’t use social media, so there is not a lot known on how they met or when their romance started.

The couple technically got married amid the early days of the pandemic in 2020, but they headed to Italy this month to throw a glamorous wedding celebration.

Alan and Caroline went all out for their big day and decorated the already stunning garden with a massive arch adorned with white flowers and greenery.

Guests were seated in white wrought iron chairs as they watched the couple exchange vows in front of their family and friends.

It’s been reported that Alan paid more than $1.3 million to close the 18th-century lakeside mansion where they tied the knot for nearly a month.

Attendees – including Pixie Lott and her new husband, Oliver (pictured) – watched the pair exchange their vows in a Jewish ceremony beneath a chuppah adorned with white flowers

They were then serenaded by Lady Gaga, before watching a huge firework display. Among her set-list were ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ and ‘Shallow’ from the Academy Award-winning film A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper

And the wedding has not been without controversy, with residents said to be angered at the month-long closure of the villa – which boasts stunning views of Lake Como – and its surrounding parks ahead of the couple’s big day.

Livia Cioffi, the culture chief of Como council, told the Times: ‘Shutting down the property for 27 days was possibly too much,’ adding that preparations for a previous large wedding ‘only took it over for two weeks.’

She continued that ‘this money will be much needed for paying day-to-day expenses like the wages of police and rubbish collectors.’

Meanwhile Davide Cantoni, of local news outlet ComoZero, stated: ‘The parkland is the most beautiful stretch of greenery in Como…So sealing it off for a month in June has upset people.’

Local councillor Maurizio Traglio added to La Provincia Di Como newspaper: ‘Our town is not in default or in difficulty and does not need to make sacrifices or accept extreme measures to pay off debts.’

Attendees – including Pixie and her new husband, Oliver – watched the pair exchange their vows in a Jewish ceremony beneath a chuppah adorned with white flowers, before being serenaded by Lady Gaga and watching a huge firework display.

Among Lady Gaga’s set-list were her hit songs ‘Always Remember Us This Way’ and ‘Shallow’ from the Academy Award-winning film A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper.

While Alan appeared to wear a traditional black suit for the occasion, his striking bride Caroline could be seen in a flowing white gown with a cathedral style veil.

The guest list was made up of 250 friends and family – including Swedish model and actress Victoria Silvstedt.

Villa Olmo is a must-see spot in Como, and it’s easy to see why. The intricately designed estate boasts a number of columns and arches and is decorated with sculptures by Francesco Carabelli.

Alan, who is a former Salomon Brothers bond trader, founded Brevan Howard in 2003 and the firm has now grown to become the world’s fourth-largest hedge fund with $24 billion run by 300 staff.

Alan was previously married to a French woman named Sabine Howard, and has four kids from his past relationship. They divorced in 2015.

He previously lived in Geneva, Switzerland, and Miami, Florida, before moving back to London, where he grew up, in 2017. He also reportedly owns a sprawling apartment near Central Park in Manhattan, which he purchased for $11 million in 2008.

In a rare interview with Bloomberg News in 2009, Alan admitted that he prefers to refrain from the spotlight, saying: ‘We’re a company that prefers to have a low profile. That’s just the way we are.’

Who is hedge fund billionaire Alan Howard and how did he make his money?

Born in September 1963, publicity-shy billionaire Alan Howard grew up in London where he attended Hasmonean Grammar School, an all boys’ secondary school and sixth form college serving Orthodox Jewish families. He remained in the city for university, completing his master’s degree at Imperial College London.

His financial career began at Salomon Brothers, where he made a name for himself as a bond trader. In 2002, he went out on his own co-founded Brevan Howard Asset Management, a European hedge fund specializing in macro trading.

It became one of the world’s leading macro hedge funds, peaking in 2013 with $40 billion in assets under management. A year later Howard was ranked 53rd on the UK’s Sunday Times Rich List.

Unlike other billionaires, Alan has chosen to stay out of the spotlight. He has granted only a handful of press interviews and a Google search brings up very few photos of the enigmatic financier.

Alan shares four children with his French-born first wife, Sabine. The children speak both French and English.

In 2010, Howard reportedly shelled out $30,000 each to singer Pixie Lott and boy band JLS to perform at his 13-year-old son Daniel’s bar mitzvah celebrations.

That same year, the Howard family moved from their home in Hampstead, north London, to Geneva. The move, which was put down to a desire for a ‘change in lifestyle,’ raised eyebrows within the industry because it called into question London’s place as a hedge fund hub.

The billionaire had owned a property in Switzerland for ‘several years’ before his move. In 2015 he bought a four-bedroom, six-bathroom condo in Florida for $14.5 million. He and Sabine divorced that same year.

In 2017, Howard returned to the UK after seven years in Switzerland, citing family reasons. The businessman owns a number of properties in London and in March 2008, he also bought a sprawling apartment in Central Park for for $11,330,000.

In 2013, Howard became embroiled in controversy when New York prosecutors claimed a $43 million Monet masterpiece he bought in 2010 from the London art dealer Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox was pilfered by a former aide to ousted Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos.

Disgraced secretary Vilma Bautista went on trial on charges that she illegally sold the 1899 painting, titled Japanese Footbridge Over Water Lily Pond in Giverny, from Imdela’s vast collection.

Bautista, then 75, was found guilty in Manhattan’s Supreme Court of tax fraud, conspiracy and offering a false instrument for filing.

Alan stepped down as CEO of Brevan Howard in 2019 to focus on investing and to give portfolio managers more freedom. He is acquainted with top figures including George Osborne and has served on the board of Conservative Friends of Israel, but his spokesman has denied persistent reports that he is a donor to the Conservative party.

The billionaire welcomed a daughter with new wife Caroline last year.