Brazilian director Walter Salles has captured the film industry's attention not only for his Oscar-winning film 'I'm Still Here,' but also for being one of the richest filmmakers in the world.
The Salles fortune
With a net worth of $4.5 billion, Salles is surpassed only by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, who each hold $5.3 billion. While his career as a filmmaker has been successful with projects like 'I'm Still Here,' 'The Motorcycle Diaries,' and 'Central Station,' as well as his role as a producer in the acclaimed 'City of God,' his wealth is doesn't just come from from his work in cinema.
Salles comes from a family that has built a significant fortune through the banking industry.
His grandfather, João Moreira Salles, founded Casa Bancaria Moreira Salles, laying the foundation for the family's fortune. His father, Walter Moreira Salles, later inherited and rebranded the company as Unibanco.
Beyond banking, Walter Moreira Salles also had a diplomatic career, serving as Brazil's Minister of Finance and twice as the country's ambassador to the United States.
However, the family's banking legacy did not end with him. One of Walter Salles' older brothers, Pedro Moreira Salles, took over the business and, in 2008, merged Unibanco with Banco Itaú, forming Itaú Unibanco, one of Brazil's largest financial institutions.
Pedro Moreira Salles now has a net worth of $6.2 billion, following his brother, businessman Fernando Moreira Salles, who holds $6.7 billion.
Like his family, Walter Salles initially considered a career in banking, earning a degree in economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. However, his passion for cinema led him down a different path, pursuing a master's degree in audiovisual communication at the University of California.
Through both his family's banking empire and his success in filmmaking, Salles has become one of the wealthiest directors in the world. He is even the most affluent Oscar nominee, followed by Selena Gomez, whose net worth stands at $1.3 billion.
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