Léa Salamé Highest-Paid Journalist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Léa Salamé
Léa Salamé led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid journalists” released on Monday.
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It's been a rough year for the journalist, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 46-year-old Léa Salamé has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid journalists for 2026 with an estimated $96 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 07/04/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Léa Salamé tops annual list of highest-paid journalists

In 2023 it looked like the journalist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (April 6) that Salamé is the highest-paid journalist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $96 million between March 2025 and March 2026, a nearly $60 million lead over her closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The French journalist-television host has an estimated net worth of $275 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Salamé Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Paris Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wondersalamé - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Léa) and a fashion line called “Léa Salamé Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Léa fans, who have been waiting for her triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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