Giles Brown
LIKE a scene out of Dusk til Dawn, Hollywood star Salma Hayek zoomed into Andalucia this week in an audacious bid to buy Spain’s controversial Almoraima estate.
The Mexican-born actress was reported to have flown into the estate, near Castellar de la Frontera, by helicopter with her billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault.
It would be excellent news for the area, as Hayak is known as a keen environmentalist and would be just the person to promote the beautiful estate abroad.
The 14,000 hectare estate became a subject of angry scenes after the government announced its sale last year.
Despite being alongside the Alcornocales Natural Park, it favoured an ‘elite tourism’ development, which would have polo pitches, golf courses and an airstrip.
It has led to the Junta to attempt to rezone the area into the park itself to prevent the development from going ahead.
The Olive Press launched a campaign to save the area in the autumn, with a trio of expat writers insisting it would be a disaster to develop it.
It is not known the type of project of Hayak, at this stage, although it would unlikely be destructive to the area.
Her husband is the owner of the Kering group which owns luxury goods companies such as Alexander McQueen, Puma and Brioni.
Forbes magazine estimates his wealth at $15billion.
SELL IT to them – they’ll only use it as a Holiday place along with the many others they own. Government needs the $$ !