Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton was born on February 17th, 1981, to Rick and Kathy Hilton, making her the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotels and source of the family fortune -- estimated at $300 million. Her grandfather, Conrad "Nicky" Hilton, Jr., also brought some notoriety to the family, as he was the first of Elizabeth Taylor's many ex-husbands. Paris' younger sister, Nicky (born in 1983), shares the throne as co-heiress of the Hilton empire. Growing up in Manhattan's ritzy Waldorf-Astoria, the family's New York home, as well as other Hilton digs in Beverly Hills and the Hamptons, Paris didn't seem to yearn for much. Even after graduating from high school, college didn't appeal to her. So, around the year 2000, Paris decided to branch out and become famous.

Paris Hilton began to make a name for herself as a model, soon appearing in shows for designers such as Marc Bouwer and Catherine Malandrino, and she later completed an ad campaign for Iceberg, an Italian label. In addition, Paris has posed for spreads in national magazines such as GQ, Vanity Fair and FHM, and has also been profiled, along with her sister, in People magazine. At the same time, Paris became the center of attention because of her relationships -- real or imagined by the paparazzi -- with some of Hollywood's hottest young stars. In early 2000, Paris was spotted around town with Leonardo DiCaprio. However, the press, especially the National Enquirer, blew their casual friendship far out of proportion. Nevertheless, she apparently dated Terminator 2's Edward Furlong for a few months, and was later seen out and about with boxer Oscar de la Hoya.

Paris has also been linked with actor and Tommy Hilfiger model, Jason Shaw, Sum 41 lead singer Derek Whibley, and Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Hilton has worked as a model, actress, musician, and engaged in occasional business pursuits. According to Forbes Magazine, she earned approximately $2 million in 2003–2004, $6.5 million in 2004–2005,[10] and $7 million in 2005–2006. Hilton also has plans to become a player in the music business, has recorded an album and even started her own music label, Heiress Records, in order to release it.