True, but I assume the publicity of dropping out would be temporary. A year from now everyone has forgotten about this request anyway, and he will presumably no

True, but I assume the publicity of dropping out would be temporary. A year from now everyone has forgotten about this request anyway, and he will presumably no longer be listed in the Michelin guide anymore. Keeping your Michelin stars is definitely a form of publicity, and a more lasting one at that than a temporary stunt just to get some press. So it would seem to me like a bad move to do this only for publicity.