Alot Finance > Personal Finance
Sure, you can work long and hard to build a fortune for yourself, but if you want to be smart about wealth, it"s always easier and more fun to just inherit it. And while not everyone may have wealthy ancestors, there are actually a surprising number of Americans who are in line to inherit their families" wealth.
Today, we"re taking a look at 30 of the richest heirs and heiresses in the United States. While some of these people got famous and wealthy in their own right, they"ve always got the family fortune to fall back on if things go south.
Kyra Sedgwick is an actor who"s probably most famous for her Emmy award-winning role in The Closer. Needless to say, she"s doing just fine for herself in the money department. However, her family connections have probably increased her wealth even more.
Sedgwick is the daughter of successful venture capitalist Dwight Sedgwick V--but her family connections don"t stop there. She"s also the great-granddaughter of Henry Sedgwick III, who was a famous American author and lawyer--and who also happened to be the grandson of a delegate from the Continental Congress.
Armie Hammer is an actor who most recently is known for his role in the 2017 film Call Me By Your Name. But when he"s not acting up a storm, he"s probably sitting around waiting for his inheritance.
Hammer is the grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer who founded Occidental Petroleum--one of the largest gas companies in the country. At the time of Armand"s death, he was rumored to be worth more than $800 million.
She might be one of the most infamous celebrities in Hollywood history, but Paris Hilton is more than just a hot mess. She"s a rich hot mess.
Hilton is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, who founded the Hilton hotel chain and brought it to prominence. But with Conrad Hilton promising 97% of his wealth to charity, just exactly how much will Paris get in terms of an inheritance?
When Anderson Cooper decided to become a journalist, he was actually leaving the family business. He"s done just fine for himself, but his great-great-great-great grandfather maybe did a little better.
That man was actually Cornelius Vanderbilt--one of America"s most famous and wealthiest railroad magnates. Cooper also inherited his mother Gloria"s estate when she passed away in 2019.
Aerin Lauder is the granddaughter of the founders of the Estee Lauder cosmetics company, and they"ve clearly kept this a family affair, as she currently holds 16 million shares in the company.
That being said, she"s worked hard for her money and to keep her grandparents" business going. In addition to her work with Estee Lauder, she"s also founded a beauty company of her own.
Whether it"s pictures or oil, Balthazar Getty has probably made money off of it. He"s the great-grandson of oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty, who pretty much ensured that every Getty after him was set for life.
Balthazar Getty has dabbled in both acting and music and is a father to four children with fashion designer Rosetta Millington.
Some parents would be disappointed if their kid went into acting, but Dakota Johnson"s parents would have probably been upset if she didn"t follow in their footsteps--they"re Hollywood royalty.
Johnson is the daughter of Don Johnson (of Miami Vice fame) and Melanie Griffith (from Working Girl). Both parents have had wildly successful careers in Hollywood, so needless to say, there was no practical reason for Johnson to work a day in her life. But we"re glad she has been working!
Olivia Wilde has done a little of everything in Hollywood, from acting to directing to producing. But did you also realize she"s the child of not one but two important American media personalities?
Wilde is actually the daughter of Andrew and Leslie Cockburn. Her father is the editor for Harper"s magazine while her mother is a journalist whose work has appeared on 60 Minutes and Frontline. If you go back far enough in Wilde"s family tree, you"ll eventually find yourself among British soldiers in the War of 1812.
Chloe Green may not be as famous as some of the people on this list, but I"d much rather have her money than an actor"s fame. She"s the daugher of TopShop CEO Phillip Green--so whether it"s clothes or money, she"s set for life.
Unfortunately, Green"s biggest claim to fame may very well be her relationship with Jeremy Meeks--a.k.a. the felon with the hot mugshot that social media exploded over in 2014.
If your last name is Rockefeller, there"s a good chance you have a hefty inheritance coming your way. And that"s definitely true for Ariana Rockefeller.
She"s just one in a long line of Rockefellers that traces all the way back to John D. Rockefeller--who, were he still living, would be considered the second richest person in modern history.
When you hear the last name Lauren, you might not think about Dylan, but you almost certainly think about her father, Ralph. We"re sure that a good chunk of his $7.7 billion fashion empire is going to her.
But Dylan is also an entrepreneur in her own respect. She"s the founder of Dylan"s Candy Bar, which is a chain of candy shops with locations across the country.
Billie Lourd hit the jackpot when it comes to famous families. Her mother is Carrie Fisher and her grandmother is Debbie Reynolds. And while her father might not be a household name, he definitely has the money to ensure a hefty inheritance.
Lourd"s father is Bryan Lourd, and he"s currently the managing director and co-chairman of the Creative Arts Agency, which is the biggest and most influential talent agency in Hollywood.
If you consider writing and recording one of the most famous songs of all time to be a good thing, then I"d say that Carly Simon has done just fine on her own. But she"s not the only one in her family to have achieved success.
Her father was Richard L. Simon, who helped co-found the publishing company Simon & Shuster. So it"s probably safe to assume that Carly Simon is very loaded and very well read.
Lydia Hearst-Shaw is one of the few people in the country to have both a famous and infamous family. She"s the great-granddaughter of William Hearst, who founded the massive media company Hearst Communications. And she"s also the daughter of Patty Hearst, America"s iconic kidnapping victim-cum-leftist terrorist.
Lydia seems to be keeping a lower profile than her ancestors, but she"s still been seen in several modeling advertisements for brands like Louis Vuitton and Prada.
I"ll give you one guess as to which famous fashion family that Allie Hilfiger descends from. She"s the daughter of designer Tommy Hilfiger and the likely heir to his $400 million fortune.
Allie had a brief stint with reality TV in 2003 with the MTV show Rich Girls, but has since turned her focus to TV production and writing books.
Spike Jonze is probably most famous for directing films like Her, Being John Malkovich, and Where the Wild Things Are. But this director also happens to be sitting on a family fortune.
Spike"s (real name: Adam Spiegel) grandfather was Joseph Spiegel, who famously founded the Spiegel company--which is most well-known for its iconic marketing catalog.
Brooke Shields has modeled and acted in her long career, but before all that, she was an heir to a fortune. Not that she needs any help in the money department, though.
Her mother, Terri Shields, was an actress and model like her daughter, but more importantly to her inheritance, her father was Frank Shields, one of the top executives at Revlon.
I don"t know much about Nicky Hilton"s personal life, but when your sister is Paris Hilton, you"re by default the normal and boring one in the family. But, just like her sister, she"s the heir to her grandfather"s hotel business.
Hilton has a fashion business of her own and has even shown outfits during New York fashion week. And she also married a Rothschild--I guess in case the Hilton fortune doesn"t work.
It might seem bizarre to think of Chevy Chase as anything other than America"s hilarious and favorite POS, but when you remove all the fame, Chase still remains an heir to one of the oldest and biggest companies in the United States.
Chase, whose legal name is Cornelius Crane Chase, is related to Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane. Crane founded the Crane Company in 1855, and it continues to be one of the biggest industrial products companies in the country.
With a name like "Tinsley Mortimer" would you at all be surprised to know that she"s one of the stars of The Real Housewives of New York? But she"s more than just an emotionally unstable pretty face--she also has a rich dad.
Specifically, that rich dad is George Mercer--a highly successful real estate investor. Her mother was an interior designer, and it seems that Mortimer has followed in her footsteps.
Teresa Heinz Kerry wasn"t born an heiress, but she managed to get there somehow. Her first marriage was to Senator John Heinz, who was set to inherit his family"s ketchup fortune. When Heinz tragically died in a plane crash, that inheritence moved to Teresa.
Later, Heinz-Kerry would marry another Senator, John Kerry. Since then, she"s worked as both a translator and philanthropist.
The Soros family may be at the center of every dumb conspiracy theory on the internet, but that has not stopped them from amassing some serious wealth. And Alexander Soros is next in line to inherit it.
Alexander is the son of George Soros. Yes, *the* George Soros. And like his father, Alexander has been heavily invested in philanthropy--even sitting on the board of his father"s charity for a time.
Cindy McCain"s biggest claim to fame was marrying former U.S. Senator John McCain. But behind all her fame, she"s got the family business--and the massive inheritance that surely comes with it.
McCain"s father was Jim Hensley, who founded the beer distribution Hensley & Co. When he passed away in 2000, she became the chair of the company and acquired a controling steak. In addition to her work with the business, McCain has also done big things in the world of philanthropy and humanitarianism.
It"s one thing for your parents to be rich and famous, but it"s a completely different story for them to be rich and cool. And that"s exactly what happened with New York socialite and heir Peter Brant II.
Brant"s parents are Peter Brant and Stephanie Seymour, and both are big in the world of New York socialites. Seymour is a supermodel, while the original Brant is an art collector and businessman. Peter Brant II has been described by The New York Times as as a "prince" of New York, and we honestly don"t blame them.
Alexa Dell may be the heiress to the Dell computer fortune, but strangely enough, this high-tech socialite grew up in Texas in a mansion she dubbed "The Castle."
In addition to being one of the richest socialites in American history, Dell somehow managed to find the time to get engaged to the CEO of Tinder. He proposed with a 12-karat diamond at a Hawaiian hotel that Dell"s father owned. Because of course he did.
Her dad may not be Jimmy Buffet, but she managed to snag the next best thing--Warren. For those not in the know, Warren Buffet is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and also one of the richest men on the planet. And Alice is next in line for his fortune...sort of.
Warren Buffet has famously given away much of his wealth, but Alice still managed to inherit shares for his company. And considering that she"s not terrible with money herself, she"s still in for a windfall if and when she needs it.
If given the option, it nevers hurts to be a direct descendant of Bud Walton--one of America"s wealthiest businessmen and co-founder of Wal-Mart. And Whitney Kroenke Burditt just happens his granddaughter.
While Burditt didn"t follow in the family business, she"s hasn"t just rested on her wealth. She lives and works in Hollywood, where she"s done a little of everything--including acting, dancing, and choreography.
If you"ve ever bought a candy bar in your life, there"s a good chance you"ve made Victoria Mars a little bit richer. Like the three generations of relatives that came before her, Victoria is a part of the Mars candy family and company.
Currently, Mars owns an 8% stake in the company and even was chair of the board for a time. Considering her MBA from Wharton, it makes sense for her to have a hands-on approach to helping the family business.
Clare Bronfman is proof that money does not equal happiness. She"s the daughter of the former chair of Seagram"s Liquor, but even that upbringing couldn"t keep her out of trouble.
Bonfman found herself caught up with NXIVM--which is a MLM company that purports to offer personal and professional development seminars but has been accused of being a cult. In 2019, Bronfman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal aliens for financial gain and fraudulent use of identification as a result of her activities with the organization.
Not many people are familiar with the Cargill company, but Gwendolyn Meyer has it to thank for her wealth. Meyer"s great-great grandfather founded the food and agriculture business in 1855, and it"s still one of the country"s largest privately-owned companies.
While Meyer inherited a 7% stake in Cargill, she spends most of her time in the equestrian world--she currently owns a ranch where she trains horses to compete in show jumping.