Believe it or not, there are some lucky people who were born into wealth. Many of the richest heirs in America have combined hard work and of course, the family name, to form successful careers of their own, and it turns out, several Hollywood celebrities are heirs to fortunes! Read on to see some familiar heirs and heiresses.
Kate Hudson
You might know Kate Hudson from movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Fool's Gold, and Bride Wars. The Hollywood actress has had quite a successful career, but did you know part of her wealth is inherited? According to Celebrity Net Worth (CNW), Kate's net worth is around $80 million.
The actress is the heiress of Hollywood legend, and Hudson's mother, Goldie Hawn. Kate's biological father is Bill Hudson and her stepfather is Kurt Russell. Having been surrounded by actors all her life, it seems like the Oscar-nominated actress was destined to be a hit (and a multi-million dollar heiress).
Jake Gyllenhaal
Lucky for Kate, she's not the only one in the 80-million-dollar-club that we just invented. CNW puts Jake Gyllenhaal's net worth at around 80 million, as well. Gyllenhaal inherited his worth from his father and Hollywood director, Stephen Gyllenhaal.
The famous actor was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Columbia University. He began acting when he was a child, making his debut in City Slickers (1991), followed with roles in some of his dad's movies, including A Dangerous Woman and Homegrown. Talk about connections!
Scarlett Johansson
When you think of Scarlett Johansson, what comes to mind? Maybe her role as Black Widow in The Avengers, or her recent role in Netflix's Marriage Story. CNW lists her as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. Well, turns out Scarlett is also an heiress with an estimated net worth of $165 million.
Scarlett's inherited her wealth from her parents Karsten Olaf Johansson and Melanie Sloan. Her father is a successful Danish architect and her mother is a film producer. Not only are her parents passing down their wealth, but Karsten has also passed down his citizenship! Johansson is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Denmark.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde's career started in 2005 but kicked off on the TV series House, in which she acted from 2007 to 2012. Since then, the actress has starred in many films and recently produced her own film, Booksmart. Wilde was born in New York City and studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland.
Olivia and her partner, Jason Sudeikis, have two children together. Lucky for the whole family, the superstar is a successful actress and heiress with an estimated net worth of $20 million, according to CNW. Her wealth is inherited from Andrew Cockburn, a journalist and Wilde's father.
Nicky Hilton
Nicky Hilton is another heiress of the Hilton Hotel's riches. The younger sibling's net worth is about $50 million, according to CNW. Similar to her sister, Nicky has several roles outside of being an heiress, including being a businesswoman, fashion model, and fashion designer.
Hilton was born in New York City and is married to one of the heirs to the Rothschild fortune, James Rothschild. The couple began dating in 2011 and now have two future heiresses, or daughters, together. Aside from being a mother, Nicky continues to be focused on her line of handbags and partnering with other brands.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson has starred in many Hollywood films including The Social Network and 21 Jump Street. The actress's rise to stardom came with her role as Anastasia in the Fifty Shades of Grey film series. Dakota was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and received a People's Choice Award for her acting in the adult series.
Johnson was born in Austin, Texas to parents Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, both actors themselves. Celebrity Net Worth puts Johnson's net worth at about $14 million. Hmmm, something tells us the actress won't be needing any of Mr. Grey's wealth.
Dylan Lauren
Dylan Lauren was born in NYC and studied art history at Duke University. She is the daughter of Ralph Lauren, a fashion designer, and billionaire businessman. That's right, we're past the millions here. Dylan and her siblings are heirs to the Ralph Lauren empire, and her net worth is about $50 million, according to CNW.
Similar to other heirs on this list, the millionaire's money comes from her career success, as well. The entrepreneur is the founder of Dylan's Candy Bar, a famous candy shop with locations in New York City, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Chicago, Honolulu, and Miami Beach.
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick was born in New York City and is an award-winning actress, producer, and director. Sedgwick is mostly known for her role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh on the hit drama series The Closer. The actress was nominated for several Golden Globe and SAG awards for her role in the show.
Kyra has been married to Hollywood superstar Kevin Bacon for over 30 years. She and her husband were two of the victims of Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme. But the couple still has a decent net worth, with CNW estimating a combined net worth of around $45 million.
Teresa Heinz Kerry
Teresa Heinz Kerry is a businesswoman and heiress to the H.J. Heinz ketchup company. Teresa inherited the Heinz fortune from her late husband, John Heinz, with whom she had three children. Her business ventures combined with her inherited wealth put her net worth at about $750 million, according to CNW.
After her husband's passing, Kerry inherited his wealth and his leadership duties. She is the chair of Heinz Endowments and The Heinz Family Philanthropies and co-founded the Alliance of Healthy Home, which advocates for children's health. Through her work, Teresa has distributed money to various social and environmental causes.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper is a journalist, author, and television personality. You may know him as the host of CNN's popular news show, Anderson Cooper 360. Before beginning his career in television and writing, Cooper modeled for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and later attended Yale University.
Cooper's mom is a fashion designer and entrepreneur, Gloria Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt family's fortune began with Anderson's great-great-great-grandfather, railroad and shipping entrepreneur Cornelius Vanderbilt. According to CNW, the TV star's net worth is around $200 million.
Carly Simon
Carly Simon is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and children's author. She has had various hits throughout her singing career, including her song You're So Vain, which is ranked at number 92 on Billboard's The Hot 100's All-Time Top 100 Songs.
Carly's career as a singer-songwriter has earned her numerous award nominations, as well as a place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Simon's net worth is about $65 million, according to CNW. She is an heiress to her dad, Richard Simon, co-founder of the Simon & Schuster book company.
Amanda Hearst
Amanda Hearst is an American fashion model, socialite, and heiress. Hearst was born in New York City and is the great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst. William was an American businessman, politician, and newspaper publisher. He developed Hearst Communications, a multinational mass media, and business information company.
CNW estimates Amanda's wealth to be $100 million. The socialite is an associate market editor for Marie Claire. She is also the founder of Friends of Finn, an organization devoted to stopping the inhumane treatment of animals in puppy mills. Big wallet and a big heart.
Ariana Rockefeller
The Rockefeller family owns one of the world's largest fortunes. They began building their wealth in the late 19th century through their involvement in the American petroleum industry, mainly Standard Oil. The family's exact total wealth, including their assets, investments, and individual wealth, is not known.
Ariana Rockefeller's net worth is estimated to be around $2.8 billion. She was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Political Science. The heiress has her own fashion line and is a prominent supporter of the Humane Society of the United States.
Brooke Shields
Actress, model, and former child star Brooke Shields's net worth is about $40 million. That is a combined net worth with her husband, producer, and entrepreneur Chris Henchy. According to CNW, their combined net worth is probably split quite evenly between the two partners.
Brooke is heir to her father and businessman, Frank Shields. But the star is better known for her success as an actress and model. As a child, she starred in the famous films Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon. Shields later took a break from her career to attend Princeton University, where she studied Romance Languages.
Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase is a writer, comedian, film, and television actor. According to CNW, Chase's wealth is about $50 million. Chevy was born in New York City to Edward Chase and Cathalene Parker. Cathalene was heiress to her step-father's wealth from The Crane Company, and the comedian is an heir of the company's fortune, as well.
The writer and actor were one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live and the original anchor for the show's Weekend Update comedy skit. Chase left SNL in 1976 and moved on to film. Some of his early roles were in Tunnel Vision (1976), Foul Play (1978), Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980), and Caddyshack (1980).
Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst is a socialite, actress, and heiress. CNW estimates Patty's wealth to be around $50 million. She is heir to William Randolph Hearst, her grandfather, and an American publishing mogul. The socialite is also the great-granddaughter of former California senator and businessman, George Hearst.
Patty was born in San Francisco, California, and studied art history at the University of California, Berkeley. She has appeared in a few films and shows, including Cry-Baby, A Dirty Shame, and an episode of Veronica Mars. The actress often plays a character that represents her own Hearst family.
Balthazar Getty
Balthazar Getty is an American heir, actor, and musician. He was born in Los Angeles to John Paul Getty III and Gisela Getty. The musician is the great-grandson of J. Paul Getty, the founder of Getty Oil, who was named the richest living American by Fortune magazine in 1957.
CNW puts Balthazar's wealth at around $200 million. Getty began his acting career at the young age of 14, with a lead role as Ralph in Lord of the Flies. The heir is also a member of the indie rock band Ringside and is a producer for The Wow, a rap duo.
Victoria Mars
Victoria Mars is a businesswoman and heiress to the Mars, Inc. fortune, a multi-billion dollar food company. Ever heard of Snickers, Twix, or Milky Way? If you have, then you may not find it surprising that Victoria has a net worth of $6 billion, according to CNW.
Mars received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. She launched her career as a brand manager and then export manager for Milky Way, and eventually served as the chairman of the Mars, Inc. Board of Directors. The businesswoman became a billionaire after becoming an owner of about 8% of the company.
Tinsley Mortimer
Tinsley Mortimer is an American heiress, socialite, and reality TV star. Born in Virginia, Mortimer is the daughter of a wealthy real estate investor and an interior designer. Her grandfather was the founder of the Mercer Rug Cleansing company in 1936. CNW alleges the TV star's net worth to be around $35 million.
Tinsley began her career as a beauty assistant at Vogue and went on to have a line of handbags and even became a Christian Dior beauty ambassador. In 2010, Mortimer starred in High Society, a reality TV show following NYC socialites. She went on to join the cast of Bravo's famous show, The Real Housewives of New York City.
Billie Lourd
Billie Lourd is the daughter of talent agent Bryan Lourd, and late actress and Hollywood legend Carrie Fisher. Fame seems to run in the family because Billie's grandmother is actress Debbie Reynolds and she is the goddaughter of Meryl Streep. Lourd's net worth is around 20 million, as reported by CNW.
The young actress doesn't seem to be intimidated by her family's legacy as she forges her path in Hollywood. She starred as Chanel #3 in the horror-comedy series Scream Queens and has also acted in the hit series American Horror Story. She even followed in her mom's footsteps and appeared in the Star Wars trilogy.
Edward Norton
While we may know Edward Norton for his acting, his wealth extends beyond his Hollywood roles. Edward's dad was an environmental lawyer and federal prosecutor, and his mom was an English teacher. Norton's maternal grandfather founded The Rouse Company and co-founded the real estate developer Enterprise Community Partners.
Norton began his career in theater and later moved on to films. His first film role in Primal Fear earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe nomination. Not a shabby start! The star went on to act in other successful films including American History X and co-starred with Brad Pitt in the cult classic Fight Club.
Lydia Hearst-Shaw
Lydia Hearst-Shaw is an actress, model, and writer with a net worth of $100 million, as detailed by CNW. Hearst was born in Connecticut and is heir to William Randolph Heart, a wealthy businessman, and publisher who developed the media company Hearst Communications.
Lydia's modeling career took off when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia in 2004. Since then, she has worked with high-end brands including Chanel, Fendi, Jeremy Scott, and Alexander McQueen. In addition to her modeling career, Hearst is a lifestyle and fashion blogger.
Megan Ellison
Born in Santa Clara County, Megan Ellison has become a well-known producer with an impressive track record. Some of her most famous works include Her (2013), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and Booksmart (2019). Celebrity Net Worth reports Ellison's net worth to be about $200 million.
Megan is the daughter and heiress of billionaire Larry Ellison, whose net worth is approximately $70 billion, according to CNW. Larry is the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, a multinational computer technology corporation. The young heiress has proven she is talented in her own right with her many box office hits.
Alexa Dell
You might've guessed it already, but Alexa Dell is heir to Dell Technologies, which was founded by Alexa's father, Michael Dell. While we don't know the heiress's net worth, CNW reports her dad's net worth to be $21 billion. We don't foresee Alexa having to stress about her future finances.
Dell studied at Columbia University but left the prestigious university in 2013 to work at a dating company. She now runs a business consulting firm and is an adviser for the dating app Bumble. She is also engaged to Harrison Refoua, a millionaire real estate investor. Talk about a power couple!
Spike Jonze
Filmmaker and director Spike Jonze have produced well-known and award-winning films. But before he was Spike Jonze, he was Adam Spiegel. Spiegel is heir to the wealth of APM Management Consultants and the Spiegel catalog, founded by the director's grandfather and great-great-grandfather, respectively.
According to CNW, Jonze's worth is about $50 million. As a teen, Spike photographed skateboarders. He later broke into the music world, directing music videos for the likes of Daft Punk. He began directing films in 1999, and his filmography includes famous works such as Her and Being John Malkovich.
Ally Hilfiger
Although Ally Hilfiger's net worth is not public knowledge, chances are good Ally will have some financial cushioning. Ally is an heiress to American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, whose own net worth is $450 million, as reported by CNW.
As a teen, the heiress produced and starred in MTV's Rich Girls, which followed Ally and her best friend as young socialites. Hilfiger now sits on the board of the Global Lyme Alliance and Project Lyme. The heiress is a vocal advocate for Lyme disease and openly discusses her experience battling the chronic illness.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer's film career began in 2006, but the actor became widely known after playing the Winklevoss twins in the 2009 film, The Social Network. Turns out Armie may have related to the wealthy twins he portrayed more than we realized. Hammer's grandfather is an oil tycoon and Occidental Petroleum founder, Armand Hammer.
The star's grandfather was allegedly worth $800 million at the time of his death, and Armie's net worth is about $16 million, according to CNW. Before becoming a successful actor, Hammer disappointed his parents by dropping out of high school to pursue his passion. His parents have since become supportive of his decision.
Jennifer Katharine Gates
Jennifer Katharine Gates is the eldest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates. Jennifer is 24 years old and, according to CNW, has a net worth of $20 million. Her father is one of the founders of The Giving Pledge, a campaign that encourages wealthy people to donate a majority of their fortune to philanthropic causes.
Jennifer's father has spoken publicly about his intention to contribute most of his wealth to philanthropic causes, including his foundation. The dad of three believes his children should build their own careers and wealth, and will allegedly leave them $10 million each.
Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie is the daughter and heiress of singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. Nicole was raised by Lionel from a young age and was officially adopted by the singer and his former wife when she was nine years old. Young Richie has a net worth of about $10 million, according to CNW.
Richie rose to stardom on the reality TV series The Simple Life, which followed the adventures of Nicole and her then BFF Paris Hilton. The celebrity has since starred in other shows including Fashion Star, Candidly Nicole, and Making the Cut. She is also the founder of the lifestyle brand House of Harlow.
Paris Hilton
Seeing Paris Hilton's name on this list is probably less surprising than some of these other celebrities. Paris was born in NYC and is one of the heiresses to the Hilton Hotel fortune. CNW lists her net worth at around $300 million. As the millionaire herself would say, that's hot!
Hilton is a successful businesswoman outside of her family's empire. The starlet has forged her own path with the Paris Hilton Beach Club Resort in the Philippines, Paris Hilton Stores worldwide, various perfume lines, and even a somewhat successful but short singing career. Does anyone remember her first single, Stars Are Blind?