By Christopher Rugaber

WASHINGTON, Aug 3, (AP): Ken McNamee has an upfront view of the river of wealth cascading through Seattle these days.

A private chef, McNamee prospects for clients at the tony country club where he spends part of his week preparing luxe meals. The parking lot is dotted with Ferraris and Porsches. The members include Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.

McNamee has cooked in exclusive clubs around the world. Yet he’s sometimes overwhelmed by the scale of riches around Seattle. On a visit to a potential client at a home on Lake Washington, not far from Gates’ house, McNamee encountered an indoor pool, two kitchens, a dumbwaiter and a trove of artwork.

“That,” he said, “was one of the only times I’ve been awed.”