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 Rockefellers and Getty's of the world, family members of the rich stand to inherit hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. Some of them are still waiting to collect on that cash, some are already enjoying their windfall, and others don't know exactly how much they'll receive from their family's massive fortunes.
Join us as we dive into the (literally) rich lives of some of the wealthiest heirs in the world.Our list of estimates was compiled using estimated data from CelebrityNetworth.com and Forbes estimates, and the numbers are likely to change as the stock market tumbles and rebounds.
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.
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.
Douglas Durst – $4.4 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 $4.4 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.
Chloe Green – $100 Million
Chloe Green is one of the most famous heiresses in the world and can often be found in 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. Right now she's estimated to be worth around $100 million.
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 – Billions
68-year-old Richard Branson has amassed over $5 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 – $68 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 – $400 Million
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 $400 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.
Paige Laurie – $5.7 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 $5.7 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 fortunes and will inherit an impressive property portfolio to boot.
Ariana Rockefeller – $2.8 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 - $2.7 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 - $3.3 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.
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.
Vanisha Mittal - $ 14.9 Billion
Vanisha Mittal is the daughter of the Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Her father is among the world's richest people with and is the second-richest man in India with a net worth of $14.9 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 - $8 Billion
Andrew and Dylan Lauren are the children of the fashion icon Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren himself has a net worth of $8 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.
Marta Ortega-Perez - $70 Billion
Marta's father, Amancio Ortega, is the owner of Zara and has a net worth of $70 billion. 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 - $72 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.
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.
Delphine Arnault: Billions
Delphine Arnault's father is, Bernard Arnault, considered to be one of the richest men in the world with a net worth of around $155.4 billion. While her inheritance may not be all $155.4 billion, she is expected to receive a very nice inheritance.
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.
Hugh Grosvenor - $12 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.
