Family Fortunes: America’s Top 20 Richest Heirs & Heiresses

Brooke Shields:

Net worth: $25 millions
Wealth inherited from: Frank Shields

Brooke Shields, an actress and former child model who also modeled in adulthood. She was born and still lives in Manhattan. Her role in the film Beautiful Baby by Louis Malle was what brought her critical acclaim.

She continued to model and appeared in other dramas after Paramount Pictures’ Pretty Baby. She appeared in The Blue Lagoon, and Endless Love. Both films from the 80s have been cult favorites for decades.

They divorced in 1999. She has been married to Chris Hency since 1999. They have two children. She is the heir of Revlon executive Frank Shields fortune.

Ariana Rockefeller:

Net worth: $2.8billion
Wealth inherited from: Standard Oil

Ariana Rockefeller, a wealthy heiress of Standard Oil, is also a member of the Rockefeller family. The Rockefellers have been around since the early 19th century when their patriarch, who founded Standard Oil, made billions. The Rockefeller family is still wealthy but also very charitable.

Standard Oil was purchased by BP. This means that the family is set to make another large profit. Rockefeller studied fashion at Columbia University. She did an internship with the United Nations before deciding to launch her own fashion label. She has a very successful label, and just recently added a bag line.

Rockefeller has been a strong supporter of the Humane Society and chaired NYBG Winter Ball. She lives on the Upper East Side in Manhattan with her entrepreneur husband Matthew Bucklin.

Kate Hudson:

Net Worth: $80 million
Wealth Inherited From: Goldie Hawn

Kate Hudson, daughter of Hollywood legend Goldie hawn, is an Oscar nominated actress. Her stepfather Kurt Russell is an actor, while her biological father Bill Hudson is an actor. Hudson began her acting career at the age of eleven. Santa Monica Playhouse was her venue. Then, she moved on to try her hand at acting in Desert Blue.

She made her debut in Sony’s Columbia Pictures film Almost Famous. She was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her unforgettable performance as Penny Lane, a band groupie. She has also appeared in Fool’s Gold and Bride Wars. Hudson has also launched her own fashion line, Fabletics.

Kate is set to inherit an enormous fortune from her mother when she passes. Goldie has been a Hollywood icon for many decades. She was an incredible actress.

Dakota Johnson:

Net Worth: $14 million
Wealth Inherited From: Don Johnson

Dakota Johnson is an actor. She is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. She was born in Austin Texas and currently resides in Los Angeles. She is also an actress. She’s been working in the film industry ever since 2010. She is most well-known for her role in The Fifty Shades of Grey series of films.

She was nominated and won the BAFTA Award Rising Stars for her role in Fifty Shades of Grey. She has also appeared in Suspiria and The Social Network. She usually appears in dramas but this young star has no limits!

Dakota, the daughter of Hollywood’s most famous actors and actresses, has never been short on money. She has not always agreed with her parents. Melanie raised her eyebrows at her daughter’s choice of role.

Alexander Soros:

Net worth: $20 Billion
Wealth inherited from: George Soros (Father)

Alex Soros, the son of George Soros, is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He studied at NYU and Berkeley. The latter awarded him a PhD in history. He has also had a successful career as a writer. His writings have appeared in Politico The Guardian The Forward as well as many other publications.

Like his father, he is a philanthropist. He contributed to Jewish Funds for Justice (an American charity that supports Jewish causes). He is also on the board for Global Witness which campaigns against abuses of human rights by multinational corporations in poor countries.

He also works alongside environmental activists and gives out large grants each year to stop the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and improve the working conditions for domestic international workers.

Anderson Cooper:

Net worth: $110 Million
Wealth inherited from: Gloria Vanderbilt

Anderson Cooper is a New York City native and descendant of the Vanderbilts, who own one of America’s largest fortunes. Anderson Cooper is a successful journalist, TV personality, and author. He is the host of the popular CNN news program Anderson Cooper360.

He studied at Yale University. He modeled for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Gloria Vanderbilt before that. He was also a Harper’s Bazaar child model. He began as a fact checker for Channel One, before moving to higher ranks. He then moved up to his current job on AT&T’s CNN.

Most people don’t realize how well connected Anderson Cooper is. This is probably due to his last name. Cornelius Vanderbilt, a prominent figure of the 1800s who was the richest American for many years due to his success in shipping and railroads, is a good example.

Amanda Hearst:

Net worth: $100 million
Wealth inherited from: Hearst Corporation

Amanda Hearst, an American socialite who was born in New York and is the heiress of the Hearst Corporation, is a model. She is also an actress. She founded Friends of Finn. Friends of Finn focuses on stopping and preventing puppy mills that treat dogs inhumanely.

Hearst is an associate marketing editor at Marie Claire. Fordham University was her place of education. William Randolph Hearst was her great-grandfather. Her father, who did not come from the Hearst family, left her before she was even born.

Hearst was a distant relative of the gold tycoon George Hearst whose (if slightly over-dramatized), ruthless dealings with businessmen in 1800s America became the plot of HBO’s popular series Deadwood. The Hearst fortune is traceable to these roots.

Billie Lourd:

Net Worth: $25 million
Wealth Inherited From: Carrie Fisher

Billie Lourd, an actress and the daughter of Star Wars Carrie Fisher who tragically passed away in 2016, is a child. Bryan Lourd is her father, and he’s one of Hollywood’s biggest talent agents. Lourd is the heir to Carrie Fisher’s fortune. She is also the granddaughter of Debbie Reynolds – another Hollywood legend.

Lourd lives in Beverly Hills, and she attended NYU. She has appeared on television shows like Scream Queens, American Horror Story and The X-Files. She played Lieutenant Connix, a role in Disney’s Star Wars Trilogy that has films released from 2015 to 2019.

Billie lost her grandmother not long after the death of her mother. Lourd was left a handsome sum of money, despite the tragedy. It’s not that she didn’t work hard to earn her money in the film industry.

Jake Gyllenhaal:

Net Worth: $65 million
Wealth Inherited From: Stephen Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal was born to Stephen Gyllenhaal. He is a well-known Hollywood director. He is the younger brother of Maggie Gyllenhaal, an actress. His mother Naomi Foner is a screenwriter. He attended Columbia University and was born in Los Angeles. When he was young, he began acting in the 1991 movie City Slickers.

In October Sky he portrayed Homer Hickam. In the film of the same name, he won an Indie Award. In the film, he acted alongside his sister Maggie. He has also appeared in Comcast Focus Features’ movie Brokeback Mountain. The film received critical acclaim.

Stephen Gyllenhaal made his fortune directing films like Family of Spies, Waterland and several TV shows such as The Mentalist and Blue Bloods. Jake’s career was certainly not hurt by his connections in the entertainment industry.

Carly Simpson:

Net worth: $65 Million
Wealth Inherited From: Richard L. Simon

Carly Simon is an American singer-songwriter, as well as a published author of children’s books. In the 1970s, her records made her famous. Carly Simon began her career as a member of The Simon Sisters before launching a solo career. She had 13 Top 40 hits in America. Carly Simon’s first album Carly Simon was a success, and she won a Grammy.

She is the daughter of Richard Simon who founded the Simon & Schuster book company, now owned by ViacomCBS. His daughter was inspired to take up music by his classical piano playing. She was briefly married to James Taylor.

Carly, who is 75 years old, is worth an estimated $65 million. Simon is not only a talented singer, she has also appeared in several movies throughout the years. She made a cameo appearance in John Travolta’s Perfect, which was released in 1985.

Nicky Hilton:

Net worth: $20 Million
Wealth inherited from: Hilton Hotels

Nicky Hilton, heiress and fashion designer is also a businesswoman. She is Paris Hilton’s sister and is an heir to the Hilton Hotels fortune. She was born and raised in New York City, where she attended Convent of the Sacred Heart. She is married to James Rothschild who is the Rothschild heir.

Nicky Hilton is also a successful model. Her fashion design business was what really took off. She also designs handbags for eLuxe, Samantha Thavasa and Nicholai. Her collections have been featured during New York Fashion Week.

She worked most recently with Tolani – a luggage company. She created a capsule called "Mommy and Me". The bags were released in 2018, but she launched the collection back in 2017. Nicky isn’t using her wealth as an excuse for slacking.

Chevy Chase:

Net worth: $50 million
Wealth inherited from: The Crane Company

Chevy Chase was born in Manhattan. He is a writer, comedian and actor. Cornelius Crane is his real name (and middle name). Edward Tinsley Chase, a Manhattan magazine and book editor, was his father. His mother, a concert pianist and heir of The Crane Company, was adopted by Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Chevy was named after him by his grandmother. The medieval English song "The Ballad of Chevy Chase" inspired his nickname. He is known for his Saturday Night Live appearances, and his comedic films like Caddyshack or Fletch.

Chevy Chase’s net worth is around $50 million. This is due to his family connections and hard work during the 1970s and 1980s. Chevy Chase is an American icon, even though he has slipped from the spotlight and no longer appears on television as often as he once did.

Olivia Wilde:

Net Worth: $20 million
Wealth Inherited From: Andrew Cockburn

Olivia Wilde, an actress, activist, and heiress born in NYC, attended the Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin, Ireland. She also directed a movie, Booksmart which was released on May 24th.

Wilde got her start in television. She was on Fox’s popular medical show House from 2007 to 2012 She played Dr. Hadley, alias "Thirteen". She has also appeared in other films such as Conversations with Other Women (also known as "Thirteen"), Tron: Legacy (also known by the same name), Butter, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and The Lazarus Effect.

Wilde’s film career began in 2005. However, her wealth is largely derived from her father Andrew Cockburn. His million-dollar fortune provided a safety net for the young actress during her first years in Hollywood.

Balthazar Getty:

Net worth: $200 Million
Wealth inherited from: Getty Oil

Balthazar Getty, whose real name is Paul, is the heir of the Getty Oil fortune. He is also an accomplished musician and producer. He is also a musician and producer. In his youth, he was also an actor.

He played Ralph in Lord of the Flies. This cult film is about a group of boys who are morally questionable and stranded on a desert island. He also played Thomas Grace in Disney’s ABC series, Alias. Our favorite performance of his is definitely the bizarre auto mechanic from David Lynch’s hypnotic Lost Highway.

Getty has also appeared as a teenager icon in films, including Natural Born Killers. He’s also acted in White Squall and Big City Blues. He is a philanthropist. He is a member of The Lunchbox Fund which provides food for impoverished African children.

Lydia Hearst-Shaw:

Net Worth: $28 Billion
Worth Inherited from: William Randolph Hearst

Lydia Hearst Shaw, an heiress and blogger, is also a model. Her mother is the infamous Patty Hearst. The tragic kidnapping of Patty Hearst affected the entire family. She was born and raised in Connecticut. She attended Sacred Heart University. Radius Entertainment is her modeling agency, and the APA is acting as her theater agent.

She is married to podcaster and comic Chris Hardwick. Hearst Shaw is a highly acclaimed runway and international model. She has appeared in shows with clients such as Fendi (a Moschino spinoff), Chanelle, Nicole Miller and Jeremy Scott.

She has appeared in advertising campaigns worth millions of dollars for Prada and Alexander McQueen. She also modeled for G-III DKNY and NARS Cosmetics. Hearst Shaw also designed her line of handbags at Puma French77.

Scarlett Johansson:

Net worth: 140 million
Wealth inherited from: Karsten O. Johansson, Melanie Sloan

Scarlett Johansson is an undeniable starlet, but her parents have certainly helped. One is a successful Danish film producer, while the other is an architect. Johansson’s parents gave her a leg up in Hollywood. One is a successful Danish architect, and the other is a film producer.

She did traverse. Johansson is known for a number of big and small hits. She has appeared in both big tentpole films like Disney’s The Avengers and smaller arthouse flicks such as Ghost World, Lost in Translation, and Under the Skin.

She has earned every penny of her net worth over the years. She has worked hard and dedicated herself to the action roles that she has played over the past decade.

Shannon Lanier:

Net worth: $1-$5 millions
Wealth inherited from: The Jefferson Family

Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers who had many skeletons. Jefferson fathered 6 children with Sally Jennings – a slave. Shannon LaNier, a Houston TV anchor, is the sixth great grandson of Jefferson.

Money can’t buy the kind of connections that Shannon has. Shannon is very open to his genetic heritage and has talked about it many times.

Kyra Sedgwick:

Net Worth: $16 million
Wealth Inherited From: Robert Sedgwick

Kyra is well-known to both film and TV fans. She has won the Golden Globe Award. You may not know that Kyra Sedgwick is the daughter of venture capitalist Henry Dwight Sedgwick IV.

Sedgwick became a household name as a teenager when she landed a role in Another World at the age of 16. The film industry began to take notice, and Sedgwick was cast in films like Phenomenon and Singles. She co-starred with Tom Cruise in the Oscar nominated Vietnam War movie Born on the Fourth of July distributed by Comcast Universal Pictures.

Sedgwick is best known for her many seasons as the star of The Closer, a hit TNT television series. Segwick received the highest praise for her role, which included multiple Golden Globe and SAG awards nominations. She is married to Kevin Bacon, another Hollywood icon.

The Kennedy Family:

Net Worth: $1.2 billion
Wealth Inherited From: Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.

The Kennedy Family is a long-standing political dynasty. The Kennedy family has been a prominent American political family despite many tragedies. Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was a Boston-native who earned a fortune in commodities, real estate and the stock market.

John F. Kennedy is a former U.S. President and Bobby, his brother, was formerly the U.S. attorney general. According to Forbes, the Kennedy family’s net worth was $1.2 billion in 2016.

Eve Jobs:

Net Worth: $2 Billion
Wealth Inherited From: Steve Job

Ironically, Eve Jobs is a Stanford student – on the same campus that her parents first met many years ago. Eve Jobs is a little-known heiress of Jobs’ $20 billion empire and a champion equestrian.

The heiress is largely out of the limelight these days, and even limits her social media activity to the minimum. She has been a strong advocate of her late dad’s philosophy on life. She even posted quotes from him on Instagram.