Moreira Salles family leverages wealth for cultural influence

Members of the Moreira Salles family, one of Brazil’s wealthiest dynasties, have leveraged their significant financial holdings to pursue prominent careers in culture and the arts.

Fernando Moreira Salles, with an estimated fortune of US$ 9.9 billion, is a major shareholder in Itaú Unibanco and the niobium producer CBMM. Beyond his financial interests, he is a poet, editor, and playwright, and has directed the Instituto Moreira Salles. He is also a partner in the major publishing house Companhia das Letras.

Walter Salles, whose wealth is estimated between US$ 4.2 billion and US$ 4.5 billion, has focused his career on cinema. A renowned director and producer, Salles gained international acclaim with films such as ‘Central do Brasil’ and the 2025 Oscar winner for Best International Film, ‘Ainda Estou Aqui’. He co-founded VideoFilmes with his brother, João Moreira Salles.