Salma Hayek is 60 years old. Born on September 2, 1966, in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, she is one of Hollywood's most recognizable Latina actresses, an Academy Award nominee for her portrayal of Frida Kahlo, and a producer whose career spans more than three decades. Married since 2009 to French businessman François-Henri Pinault, she has built a fortune estimated in the hundreds of millions entirely through her own work in film and television.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez |
| Born | September 2, 1966 |
| Age | 60 years old |
| Birthplace | Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico |
| Occupation | Actress, Film and Television Producer |
| Nationality | Mexican, American (naturalized) |
| Height | 5'2" (1.57 m) |
| Husband | François-Henri Pinault (married 2009) |
| Children | 1 daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault (plus three stepchildren) |
| Estimated Net Worth | $200 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth) |
Early Life and Career
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez was born into a well-to-do family in Coatzacoalcos, a coastal city in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Her father, Sami Hayek Domínguez, was a Lebanese-Mexican oil company executive who also owned an industrial equipment firm, while her mother, Diana Jiménez Medina, was an opera singer and talent scout of Spanish descent. Hayek has described herself as half Lebanese and half Spanish. Raised Catholic in a prosperous household, she attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Louisiana as a child, which gave her an early foothold in the English language, and later studied international relations at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City before dropping out to pursue acting.
Her rise began in Mexico, where she starred in the telenovela Teresa in 1989, becoming a household name in her home country. She earned an Ariel Award nomination for the film El Callejón de los Milagros (Miracle Alley). Then, in 1991, she made the bold move to Hollywood, arriving with limited English and starting over at the bottom of the industry.
Her breakthrough came with Desperado (1995) opposite Antonio Banderas, directed by Robert Rodriguez. Roles in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West and Dogma (both 1999) followed, establishing her as a versatile screen presence. But it was Frida (2002), her passion project about Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, that defined her legacy. Hayek not only starred in the film but also produced it, fighting for years to bring it to the screen. Her performance earned her nominations for the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress.
Beyond film, Hayek has made her mark in television. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for directing The Maldonado Miracle in 2004, earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for guest-starring on Ugly Betty — a show she also executive produced — and had a memorable recurring role on 30 Rock from 2009 to 2013. She also founded her own production company, Ventanarosa, to develop film and television projects — a move that parallels fellow Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie, who likewise built a producing business alongside her acting career.
Her later filmography includes comedies like Grown Ups (2010) and Grown Ups 2 (2013) — collaborations with an ensemble that included fellow comedy star Adam Sandler — action films such as The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), and blockbusters like Marvel's Eternals (2021) and House of Gucci (2021). In September 2026, she starred in Without Blood, a war drama written and directed by Angelina Jolie, which received a US theatrical release through Brainstorm Media. She is also making her theatrical feature directorial debut with Arena, an epic romantic adventure she wrote, directed, produced, and co-stars in, with filming underway in Mexico and Jolie serving as executive producer.
Personal Life
Hayek's personal life has drawn as much attention as her career, particularly her marriage to François-Henri Pinault, the French businessman who serves as chairman and CEO of the luxury group Kering, which owns brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta. The couple met at a charity gala in 2006 and briefly split in 2008 before reconciling. They married in an intimate courthouse ceremony in Paris on Valentine's Day in 2009, followed by a lavish celebration in Venice, Italy, that April. Hayek later admitted she barely realized the courthouse wedding was happening, calling it "like an intervention" staged by her family.
Their daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, was born in Los Angeles on September 21, 2007, two years before the wedding. Hayek has spoken candidly about having wanted more children, saying her body managed "a miracle" in giving her one. Through her marriage, she became stepmother to Pinault's three children from previous relationships: François Jr., Mathilde (with his ex-wife Dorothée Lepère), and Augustin James (with supermodel Linda Evangelista).
The couple remains together, having celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in April 2024, and in August 2026 Hayek became a grandmother when her stepson François Pinault Jr. and his wife welcomed a baby boy. Over the years, Hayek has publicly pushed back against claims that she married for money, insisting on her financial independence — a stance Forbes has noted, reporting that despite having no prenup, she keeps her finances separate from her husband's.
Net Worth
Salma Hayek's net worth is estimated at $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. She earned that fortune through decades of work as an actress, producer, director, voice artist, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur — not through her marriage.
The distinction matters because her husband comes from one of the world's wealthiest families. Forbes has estimated the Pinault family's wealth at roughly $26.7 billion, built on the Kering luxury empire. But Hayek has been adamant about earning her own way: she has said she does not share money with her husband and supports herself financially from her own career, a position she held long before the marriage.
Her wealth reflects the economics of a long, diversified Hollywood career. She commanded substantial acting salaries across blockbusters and comedies, built a producing business through Ventanarosa, earned endorsement and beauty industry deals, and made strategic investments. Starting from telenovela stardom in Mexico in the late 1980s, she converted her Frida Oscar breakthrough into three decades of consistent, high-earning work — the kind of career compounding that places her among Hollywood's wealthiest self-made entertainers, a tier that includes stars like Taylor Swift, who likewise built a nine-figure fortune through her own career output.
FAQs
How old is Salma Hayek?
Salma Hayek is 60 years old. She was born on September 2, 1966, in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, and celebrated her 60th birthday in September 2026.
Who is Salma Hayek's husband?
Salma Hayek is married to François-Henri Pinault, a French businessman and the chairman and CEO of the luxury group Kering, which owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta. They married in a Paris courthouse ceremony on Valentine's Day in 2009 and remain together.
What is Salma Hayek's net worth?
Salma Hayek's net worth is estimated at $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. She earned it through her acting, producing, directing, and business ventures. Her wealth is separate from her husband's family fortune, which Forbes has estimated at around $26.7 billion.
Does Salma Hayek have children?
Salma Hayek has one biological child, her daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault, born September 21, 2007. She is also stepmother to her husband's three children — François Jr., Mathilde, and Augustin — and became a grandmother in August 2026 when her stepson François Jr. welcomed a baby boy.
What is Salma Hayek known for?
Salma Hayek is best known for her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Frida Kahlo in Frida (2002), her breakout role in Desperado (1995), her production work on Ugly Betty, and blockbusters including Grown Ups, Eternals, and House of Gucci. She is one of the most prominent Latina actresses in Hollywood history and a Daytime Emmy-winning director.