Fans of Paris Hilton have been left massively impressed after discovering that she was cut out of an immense family fortune.
If her surname seems familiar to you, it's probably because Paris Hilton is the granddaughter of hotelier Conrad Hilton, who founded Hilton hotels.
As you might expect, founding one of the most successful hotel chains in the world means that the Hilton family has become immensely wealthy.
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But when Conrad died and left a fortune of some $1.2 billion to his son, Paris' father Barron Hilton, Barron announced his intent to donate some 97 percent of the fortune to charity.
Paris made a name for herself as a socialite from a very early age as venues would ask if she would simply turn up.
After all, having a Hilton come to your nightclub would be great for business because when you think of celebrity culture in the 2000s, Paris Hilton is likely to feature.
Her 2003 sex tape was posted on the internet and she was catapulted to international fame, or notoriety depending on who who ask.
It wasn't clear why Barron decided to leave most of his fortune to charity, but for her part, Paris was cut out of the will.
Jerry Oppenheimer profiled Paris in his 2006 book House of Hilton and claimed that Barron had felt that Paris' behaviour and infamy had embarrassed the family name.
Nonetheless, the socialite managed to use her new found notoriety to her advantage.
Tabloid reports on her partying lifestyle gave her a platform to launch a celebrity career including reality TV shows, fashion and perfume lines, film roles, music, and a book.
All this meant that despite being cut out of the Hilton family fortune Paris is definitely still not short a few bob.
Her net worth from her many projects has been estimated as being around $300 million.
Many fans were left impressed by how she managed to carve her own path.
Taking to social media, one wrote: "She will always be a top tier icon. I’ve been obsessed with her for decades."
Another posted: "I've always said that this women is fkin amazing."
A third said: "Damn Paris is an absolute boss. Most people wouldn’t have survived this. She blazed her own trail. What an inspiration."
Critics of Paris Hilton have highlighted how she is representative of the privileged and insulated lifestyles of celebrities.
And while she may not have received money, inheriting the Hilton family name opened a lot of doors for Paris as a socialite which allowed her to develop her career.
But love her or hate her, there's no denying that Paris Hilton's 'dumb blonde' persona has proven highly lucrative.
Topics: Business, Celebrity, Money, Paris Hilton
Kit Roberts