Salma Hayek feels ‘pressure’ to make money despite marriage to billionaire François-Henri Pinault

Salma Hayek says she did not marry her billionaire husband for his money. Photo / Getty Images

Salma Hayek’s interview about her passion for making her own money, despite being married to a billionaire, has severely backfired.

The actress, 58, tried to slam the misconception she married super-wealthy François-Henri Pinault, 62, for money by revealing that they “keep their finances separate” and she is on a quest to make her own fortune.

“I support a lot of the aspects of my life and myself,” she admitted in the recent edition of the Wall Street Journal. “I have the pressure to make a certain amount of money, and I like it. And now, I decided, I want to make more.”

Not only is Hayek financially independent from the French businessman – who is chairman and chief executive of luxury group Kering, which owns brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta – but she said there is also “no prenuptial agreement dividing assets”.

According to Forbes, Pinault is worth US$20.6 billion ($34.4b) and is the 99th richest person in the world. In her interview, Hayek said her husband, whom she married in 2009, has long admired her work ethic and hustle.

Salma Hayek poses with Taika Waititi, Rita Ora, Vas J Morgan and other guests at Waititi's birthday bash. Photo / @ritaora

“I think he finds it kind of sexy,” said Hayek, who is worth about US$200 million herself.

The internet had some thoughts about the “pressures” she felt to make money, with many calling for her to drop the “poor little rich girl” act.

“I have a hard time believing Salma Hayek is struggling to make ends meet,” one user commented on X, while another wrote, “I don’t feel sorry for her, please”.

Her remarks were also met with sarcasm.

“I feel so bad for her! It must be tough to be married to a billionaire!”

“OMG, it must be so hard for her!”

“Such a victim.”

“Lordy, being worth $200 million has her feeling pressured?”

In her WSJ interview, Hayek recalled growing up in a wealthy family but her father, who was an oil executive, lost his fortune and they suffered financial hardship.

This would continue in her mid-20s when she was a struggling actress in LA and had to support herself and her family back in Mexico.

“That’s when I became the best version of myself,” she said.

“To me, the excitement about having a lot of money was that I didn’t have to think about money, and it turned out all people wanted to talk to me about was money.

“Strangers coming to me that aren’t even friends, but they think we should be friends because they’re rich, too.”

This year marks 15 years of marriage for Hayek and Pinault, who share one daughter Valentina, 17. The actress is also stepmother to Augustin, the businessman’s son with model Linda Evangelista, and his children from his first marriage, François and Mathilde.