These Are the Wealthiest Heirs In the World
If you're lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family, then the world is your oyster. Some of the richest families around the globe stay rich by passing down the family fortune through younger generations.
From the Hearsts to the Ecclestones, these ladies and gents know how to splash the cash – sometimes with tragic consequences. Join us as we dive into the (literally) rich lives of some of the wealthiest heirs in the world.
Lydia Hearst-Shaw – $100 Million
Lydia Hearst-Shaw is the great-granddaughter of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst, making her an heir from the moment she was born. Her mother, Patty Hearst, became famous in her own right in the '70s when she was kidnapped by the American terrorist group the Symbionese Liberation Army.
While it's not clear exactly how much money Hearst-Shaw has inherited, it's thought that she is worth around $100 million. The 34-year-old has found success as a model and an actress, having been involved in campaigns for MAC and Escada. The starlet currently has multiple film projects in the works, including The Haunting of Sharon Tate.
Maureen O'Connor – $85 Million
Politician Maureen O'Connor was running for San Diego City Council when she happened to meet Robert O. Peterson, the founder of the Jack in the Box fast food chain. The couple went on to marry in 1977.
O'Connor did well in her career, but two years after she resigned as mayor of San Diego in 1992, her husband died. Peterson left his wife $50 million, the equivalent of $85 million today. Struggling with the loss of her husband, the former politician developed a gambling habit. The widow was charged with money laundering in 2013. She escaped jail, but the judgment left her destitute.
Peter Brant II – $500 Million
Peter Brant II was born into a life of privilege thanks to his parents, billionaire Peter Brant and supermodel Stephanie Seymour. His father is the chairman and CEO of White Birch Paper, a business co-founded by his father in the 1940s.
While Peter is known as a socialite, he is set to inherit a fortune - although he is one of eight children. His father had five children with his first wife, Sandra Simms, and three (including Peter) with his second wife, Seymour. It's believed that they will split their father's portfolio and an impressive $500 million fortune between them.
Allegra Versace – $900 Million
Gianni Versave had already made sure his affairs were in order when he was shot and killed on his doorstep in 1997. He left 50% of his company to his nine-year-old niece, Allegra. Although her mother Donatella took on creative duties, Allegra would inherit her share on her 18th birthday.
According to the website, the 32-year-old heiress plays an important part in the family business, but it's unclear exactly what that entails. It's thought Versace is worth around $900 million thanks to the generosity of her uncle. As well as sitting on the board at Versace, she has also enjoyed a brief stint as a theatre dresser.
John Hervey – $28 Million
John Hervey, the 7th Marquess of Bristol, inherited $6 million when he turned 21 in 1975. In today's money, that's roughly $28 million. Hervey, the brother of Lady Isabella Hervey, lived an extremely lavish lifestyle and was often pictured in the tabloids for his exploit.
Despite some savvy investments in real estate and oil, Hervey developed a drug habit that would see him thrown in jail twice. By the 1990s, the money was gone and Hervey was virtually bankrupt. Even the family estate had to be sold. The Marquess died at 44 years old from multiple organ failure after years of chronic drug abuse.
Douglas Durst – $5.2 Billion
Douglas Durst is one of the richest men on earth thanks to his grandfather's decision to launch real estate firm The Durst Organization in 1915. The portfolio expanded over the decades to an astronomical value of $5.2 billion. While Durst has all of that income at his fingertips, his personal net worth is around $650 million.
His children, Helena and Alexander, are both vice presidents at the company, while another daughter, Anita, founded Chashama, a charity that helps artists to find affordable studio spaces in New York City. All three children and Durst's wife, Susanne, will inherit the incredible fortune.
Eden Sassoon – $7.3 Million
Vidal Sassoon is still an important name in the hair-care industry, but he passed away in 2012. At the time of his death, the entrepreneur was worth a reported $200 million, but he left only $7.3 million to his family.
The exact amount that Eden inherited from her father isn't known, as it was split between two of his children, Eden herself, and Elan. Eden's sister, Catya, died of a drug overdose in 2001 and her brother, David, was cut out of the will by his father prior to his death. Eden also owns two pilates studios in Los Angeles.
Clarissa Dickson Wright – $29 Million
Clarissa Dickson Wright was well known to UK audiences as one half of the cookery duo the Two Fat Ladies. When her mother (a high-earning London lawyer) passed away in 1975, Wright inherited $3.7 million - roughly $29 million in today's money.
Unfortunately, Wright's father died soon after, causing her to succumb to alcoholism and depression. Her lavish spending habits meant that by 1980, the considerable fortune had dried up. She later found success as a television personality, but following her death in 2014 a variety of her possessions had to be sold to settle an unpaid tax bill.
Chloe Green – $4.9 Billion
Chloe Green is one of the most famous heiresses in the world and can often be found in the tabloids. Most recently, she made headlines for her romance to model Jeremy Meeks. Her father is Philip Green, the man behind the TOPSHOP fashion chain.
Chloe is set to inherit an astonishing $4.9 billion alongside her brother, Brandon, thanks to their parents' London-based company Taveta Investments. Her lavish lifestyle doesn't go unnoticed, with the 27-year-old often spotted out on the London social scene. Green gave birth to her first child earlier in 2018 after Meeks split from his wife of 10 years.
Barbara Hutton – $965 Million
Woolworth Heiress Barbara Hutton was one of the richest women to have ever lived. In 1933, she inherited $50 million at the age of 21 Today, that fortune would be worth $965 million.
Painfully unhappy, Hutton tried to make up for it by flaunting her wealth and spending her cash. She married seven times, including Hollywood actor Cary Grant, but none of the unions would stick. She died in 1979 at 66 years old, incredibly close to bankruptcy thanks to her generosity and compulsive spending habits. Tabloids dubbed her the "Poor Little Rich Girl" due to her bad luck in love and in life.
Ronald Lauder – $3.8 Billion
Youngest son of make-up and perfume mogul Estee Lauder, Ronald Lauder inherited his sizeable fortune from his mom. Lauder has maintained an active role in the family business, serving as chairman of Clinique Laboratories since 1994. He also sits on the board of directors and has done for the last 40 years.
As well as his cosmetics business, Lauder is the president of the World Jewish Congress and an avid art collector. His net worth was last reported at $3.8 billion thanks largely to Estee Lauder's continued success and lasting legacy. His daughters Jane and Aerin are likely to inherit the fortune.
Sam Branson – $4.9 Billion
68-year-old Richard Branson has amassed over $4.9 billion in his life thanks to his entrepreneurial exploits. The Virgin founder has two children, son Sam, and daughter Holly. Branson has been notoriously savvy about his business dealings, keeping his business empire in a complicated series of offshore trusts and companies.
A self-confessed "tax exile," the mogul gave up his British citizenship, saving himself millions in tax. Both 33-year-old Sam and 37-year-old Holly play active roles in their father's empire. They are both set to share the current fortune, which will likely increase over the next couple of decades thanks to Virgin.
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers – $46 Billion
According to Bloomberg, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is the richest woman in the world. Her grandfather, Eugene Schueller, founded cosmetics powerhouse L'Oreal in 1907. He passed his entire estate to his daughter, Liliane. When Liliane died in 2017, Francoise became filthy rich.
Francoise has chosen to stay out of family affairs, instead enjoying her $46 billion fortune and carving out a career as an author. Her relationship with her mother was rocky at times. In 2008, the heiress started proceedings to have her mother declared mentally incompetent after she gave copious amounts of money to her friend, Francois-Marie Banier over many years.
Petra Ecclestone – $3.5 Billion
Petra is the daughter of Bernie Ecclestone, the former CEO of Formula One racing. The 88-year-old retired businessman is still going strong, but one day Petra will share her father's $3.5 billion fortune with her sister, Tamara, and her mother, Slavica.
As it stands, Petra is currently worth $500 million and spends her time raising her three children. Like other members of her family, she also puts her efforts into raising money for charities that support children with autism and meningitis. Petra and her husband James own some impressive properties, including the 57,000-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles - the largest in the county.
Jamie Laing – $10 Million
Jamie Laing is a popular cast member of the British reality show, Made In Chelsea, but it's not his only claim to fame. The 29-year-old is the great-great-grandson of Alexander Grant, the man who invented the "Digestive" biscuit, going on to later form the popular McVities brand.
The company may have been sold in 2000, but Jamie and his two siblings are in for an inheritance that could reach into the billions. He's also made his own fortune, having founded sweets company Candy Kittens in 2012. Merchandising from the brand gives him regular cash injections of almost $40,000. Currently, his net worth is estimated at $10 million.
Paige Laurie – $5.5 Billion
Paige Laurie is the granddaughter of Walmart founder Bud Walton. Walton created the supermarket chain with his brother, Sam, going on to leave his daughter-in-law Nancy Walton Laurie a stake in the company worth $5.5 billion.
Paige has been frugal with the money she already has, supposedly earning almost $1 million a month through carefully invested stocks and dividends. When her mom passes on, the socialite is likely to come into around $5.5 billion. As Paige is an only child, she won't have to share any of the family fortune and will inherit an impressive property portfolio to boot.
Jennifer Gates – $81.7 Billion
Bill Gates is one of the most successful businessmen in the world, thanks to his work in the computer industry. The 63-year-old is known as the richest man in the world, with a fortune peaking $81.7 billion, and it's likely to grow.
Both Bill and his wife Melinda are protective over their private life, so little is known about his children. Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe are largely kept out of the public eye, but will inherit their dad's fortune in years to come. The youngsters will split the gargantuan sum between them and Melinda, who is 10 years Gates' junior.
Ariana Rockefeller – $3.3 Billion
Ariana Rockefeller is the granddaughter of David Rockefeller, former CEO of the Chase Manhattan Corporation, and patriarch of one of America's richest families. At his death, he left behind a fortune of $3.3 billion.
As long as Ariana's father plays it right, then his daughter should inherit something close to the same amount, albeit split with her sister, Camilla. The 33-year-old is also working on her own career as a fashion designer and entrepreneur. The brunette beauty often appears at red carpet events and has contributed to charitable causes set up by her grandfather to honor his legacy. Rockefeller considers a pocket square her grandfather wore daily as her most highly-prized possession.
Paris Latsis - $7.5 Billion
Paris Latsis is the grandson of Yiannis "John S." Latsis, and the heir to a Greek shipping company which is estimated to be the 101st largest fortune in the world.
The Latsis family eventually became involved in banking, oil refinery, as well as real estate, with their fortune estimated at $7.5 billion, making them No. 54 on Forbes world's richest people list. He came into the public spotlight after being engaged to Paris Hilton at one point.
Aerin Lauder - $1.63 Billion
Aerin Lauder is a businesswoman as well as the heiress to billions of dollars. She is the granddaughter of Estee Lauder ad Joseph Lauder, the co-founders of the cosmetics brand Estee Lauder Companies.
After working for the company is college, Aerin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and grew to become the style and image director for Estee Lauder Companies. She has her own line of products called AERIN and now owns 16 million shares in her family's company.
Athina Onassis - Estimated $1 Billion
Athina Onassis is the sole heiress of the Greek shipping superpower Aristotle Onassis. She is the daughter of Christina Onassis, who inherited 55% of her father fortune after he passes away. When Athena was just seven years old, the New York Times cited her as one of the year's new billionaires.
However, for the most part, her wealth is unknown to the public although it is estimated to be around $1 billion considering all of the other companies her family is involved with.
Tamara Ecclestone - $300 Million
We've got another Ecclestone on our list! Tamara is the older sister of Petra Ecclestone and the daughter of Bernie Ecclestone who just so happens to be responsible for turning Formula One racing into a real sport. Her father has been the CEO for four decades and has a sizeable fortune around $3.5 billion according to Forbes.
Tamara is a well-known socialite and model and has even starred in her own reality television show called Tamara's World. Since giving birth to her daughter Sofia in March 2014, Tamara seems to have shied away from the public eye.
Balthazar Getty - $200 Million
Balthazar Getty is the great-grandchild of the oil mogul John Paul Getty. In addition, his father was John Paul Getty II, who was famously kidnapped and his story was retold in the 2017 film All the Money in the World.
Regardless of his inheritance, Getty doesn't like to sit back and let the money come to him. He has a successful acting career acting in the show Brothers & Sisters. He's also involved in the music industry and performs as a DJ.
Siddarth Mallya - $800 Million
Siddarth Mallya is the son of Vijay Mallta, the 73rd richest man in India with an estimated net worth of over $800 million. At the young age of 26, Siddarth is the director of the Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bangalore.
However, he has also been named the future head of the United Breweries Group by his father. He has also tried his hand at acting and has had numerous Bollywood girlfriends as a result.
Vanisha Mittal - $ 16.5 Billion
Vanisha Mittal is the daughter of the Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Her father is No. 41 on the world's richest people with and is the second-richest man in India with a net worth of $16.5 billion.
At 33 years old, Vanisha graduated business school from the University of London and is known for her charity work such as improving the quality of life for impoverished areas of India. For her wedding in 2004, her father spent a reported $60 million to demonstrate his wealth.
Andrew And Dylan Lauren - $7.7 Billion
Andrew and Dylan Lauren are the children of the fashion icon Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren himself is No. 166 on Forbes billionaires list and has a net worth of $7.7 billion. While the children could just sit back and wait for their hefty inheritance, both have chosen to pursue their own careers.
Andrew graduated from Brown University and is working as a movie producer, while Dylan graduated from Duke and worked as an event planner work the Willy-Wonka Candy Company.
The Courtin-Clarin Cousins - $2.2 Billion
The Courtin-Clarins cousins are the granddaughters of cosmetics entrepreneur Jacques Courtin-Clarins. The sons of Jacques, Oliver and Christian are the fathers of the girls with a combined net worth of $2.2 billion.
The girls are heiresses to the French cosmetics brand Clarins, which is estimated to be worth $3.8 billion and possibly even more after the company was made private. All four girls are shareholders as well as brand ambassadors for the company and also do makeup tutorials online.
Marta Ortega-Perez - $57 Billion
Marta's father, Amancio Ortega, is the owner of Zara and has a net worth of %7 billion, making landing him the No. 3 spot on Forbes billionaire list. Amancio founded the fashion firm Inditex, which owns and runs the Zara chain.
Supposedly, Martha is being prepared to eventually take over the company. However, it will not be handed over, as she has had to work her way up the ranks starting off stocking shelves.
Barron Nicholas Hilton II - $2.5 Billion
Barron Nicholas Hilton II's great-grandfather is Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. Barron's grandfather is worth $2.5 billion which is the wealth that will most likely be divided among Barron and his sisters Paris and Nicky.
Working as a model, Barron has also run into trouble with the law, being arrested for a DUI, driving with a fake license, and even being forced to pay $4.9 million for hitting a gas station attendant with his car.
Carlos Slim Domit - $73 Billion
According to Forbes, Carlos Slim Domit's father, Carlos Slim, is the richest man in the world for his work in Mexican telecommunications. Carlos graduated Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico and has worked as the Chairman of the Board of Grupo Carso since 1998.
Aside from his work with Grupo Carso, he is known for his love of racecar driving and is married to a woman named Maria Elena Torruco. Things are looking up for the son of the richest man in the world.
Isaac And Otis Ferry - $48 Million
Isaac and Otis Ferry are the two sons of former British rock and roll star Bryan Ferry, who is estimated to be worth $48 million. The two sons have a hard time staying out of the spotlight, constantly having run-ins with the law or are featured in tabloids for dating various models.
Today, Otto lives in a cottage in Shropshire with 60 hunting dogs, five horses, and three dogs. Isaac, on the other hand, is known for partying in London and is a music producer and DJ.
Josie Ho - $2 Billion
Josie Ho's father, Stanley Ho, is a well-known casino operator valued to be over $2 billion. However, Josie did not follow in her father's footsteps and is now a singer and actress in Hong Kong.
Since beginning her career in the 1990s, she has acted in 45 different roles on top of her singing career. She is considered to be different from other actresses in the industry as she likes to play tough, independent women in her films.
Caroline Jones - $3.7 Billion
Caroline Jones is the daughter of the hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II, who is reported to have a net worth of $3.7 billion. However, Caroline has chosen to pursue a career in music and is an accomplished singer and songwriter.
While she isn't being played on the radio just yet, she has been releasing music to the public which has been relatively well-received. She's even had the opportunity to play with Tommy Mottola, Paul Simon, and Dave Matthews.
Delphine Arnault: $4 Billion
Delphine Arnault's father is, Bernard Arnault, considered to be one of the richest men in the world with a net worth of around $25 billion. While her inheritance may not be all $25 billion, she is expected to receive $4 billion which isn't exactly anything to complain about.
Yet, she also prefers to work for her money and as a businesswoman heads the LVMH group which works with clients such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Marc Jacobs, and more.
Maria And Yekaterina Putina - $200 Billion
Amazingly, although his net worth hasn't officially been released, it is believed that Vladimir Putin's net worth is around $200 billion. That's more than Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates combined.
While nobody is exactly sure how he secured this much wealth, it can be guaranteed that his daughters will be seeing a fair portion of that money at some point in their lives. However, he keeps his family life very private, so not much more is known about their financial situation.
Sofia Abramovich - $11.84 Billion
Sofia Abramovich is the daughter of Roman Abramovich, who is an investor, businessman, politician, and owner of Chelsea FC. Sofia is his third child with his second wife. With a net worth of $11.85 billion, Roman is the richest person in Israel where he is currently living, and the 11th richest person in Russia.
Even without her inheritance, Sofia is estimated to be worth over $1 billion, making her Britain's richest teen where she lives in an estate in Sussex.
Hugh Grosvenor - $13 Billion
Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, otherwise known as the 7th Duke of Westminster, is the world's richest person under the age of 30. Born to Natalia Grosvenor and Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster, Hugh inherited the title of Duke of Westminster after the death of his father as well as $13 billion.
His inheritance also came with large trust funds for his other sister. Now, he spends his days fulfilling the duties of Duke of Westminster without any worries about money.
