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Salma Hayek never signed a prenuptial agreement with her husband François-Henri Pinault, who is worth over $20 billion

Salma Hayek never signed a prenuptial agreement with her husband François-Henri Pinault, who is worth over  billion

Salma Hayek has revealed that she and her billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault never signed a prenuptial agreement when they married over a decade ago.

The Mexican-born actress, 58, opened up about her 15-year marriage to the CEO of Kering, a luxury conglomerate that owns high-end brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen. In a recent interview with the Wall Street JournalHayek explained that she and her husband keep their finances completely separate.

“I support many aspects of my life and myself,” she said. “I have pressure to make a certain amount of money and I like that. And now I’ve decided I want to do more.”

Both Hayek and Pinault were originally born into wealthy families. The Frida Star's father was an oil executive and she grew up in the coastal town of Coatzacoalcos with four maids. Meanwhile, Pinault inherited the luxury retail conglomerate – then called Pinault-Printemps-Redoute – from his father, François Pinault, in 2005.

However, Hayek was forced to support her family as an actress in Hollywood after her father lost his fortune – a challenging time during which, as she says, she “became the best version of myself.”

Salma Hayak and Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault married in 2009

Salma Hayak and Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault married in 2009 (AFP via Getty Images)

After marrying the French businessman in 2009, the House of Gucci Star explained how she was thrust into an environment where money largely dominated conversations – a lifestyle change she didn't expect.

“For me, the exciting thing about having a lot of money was that I didn't have to think about money, and it turned out that people just wanted to talk to me about money,” Hayek said WSJ. “Strangers come to me who aren’t even friends, but they think we should be friends because they’re rich too.”

Accordingly ForbesPinault has an estimated net worth of $20.6 billion. He is currently the 99th richest person in the world.

The Magic Mike's Last Dance The star began dating Pinault in 2006 and the following year they welcomed their now 17-year-old daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault. After tying the knot in Paris on Valentine's Day 2009, the couple then held a larger wedding celebration in Venice, Italy.

Hayak and Pinault share a 17-year-old daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault

Hayak and Pinault share a 17-year-old daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault (AFP via Getty Images)

Pinault has two children from his previous marriage to Dorothée Lepère: son François, 26, and daughter Mathilde, 23. Pinault also has an 18-year-old son, Augustin James, from his relationship with supermodel Linda Evangelista.

Despite being together for nearly two decades, Hayak has faced criticism in the past for her relationship with the billionaire, particularly by critics who believe she married Pinault for money. Hayek defended her marriage to Pinault during an appearance at Dax Shepard's Armchair expert Podcast in 2021.

“I didn’t know who he was,” Shepard said at the time. “I just heard, or maybe read a headline, that you married a very rich man, maybe that's why she married him. I don't know. I meet him and I think, 'This guy is so smart, the confidence, his eyes, he's so good-looking and charming.'”

Hayak replied: “When I married him, everyone said, 'Oh, it's an arranged marriage, she married him for money.' I'm like, 'Yeah, whatever, bastard.' Think about what you want.' Fifteen years together and we are strong in love. And I'm not even offended, I'm just like, 'Yeah, whatever.'”

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