Top 50 Richest Heirs & Heiresses In America

For most people, working hard is the only way they are able to get ahead in life. However, some people are just born lucky and inherit the wealth their parents worked hard to get. You may recognize these heirs and heiresses since they are usually given the spotlight in the media. Whether you love or hate them, I think it's safe to say we all wish we were born into a life of luxury. So check out this list of the richest heirs and heiresses and I bet there are some on this list that you didn't even know came from massive wealth.

Kyra Sedgwick’s acting career peaked with her performance in The Closer, for which she earned an Emmy award nomination. This is an indication that she has earned enough money from acting over the years but her earnings from acting are trumped by her family's wealth and connections.

Armie Hammer’s stature and good looks have enabled him to land a couple of memorable roles in recent years, but what many fans of the actor don’t know is that he is from a wealthy background, and has a sizable inheritance. He lived on the Cayman Islands for many years and generally lived a life of luxury. 

Paris Hilton is one of the world’s biggest stars, and for good reason as she’s a gorgeous bundle of talent and charm. But beyond her good looks, Hilton is also well-paid, and from a wealthy background herself. 

Anderson Cooper wasn’t looking to make more money when he decided to become a journalist as he already had lots of it courtesy of his background and family business. Since he ventured into journalism, Cooper has made some money but not nearly as much as some of his ancestors before him. Several generations before him, his great-great-great-great grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt, made a ton of money from his railroad conglomerate.

The founder of Estee Lauder Cosmetics Company is Aerin Lauder’s grandfather so you know she was born into wealth, and that wealth has been sustained as Aerin is a successful businesswoman. Likewise, her father was the US Ambassador to Austria during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. 

Oil tycoon and one of the world’s richest men in the 1960s, Jean Paul Getty, is the great-grandfather of Balthazar Getty. Balthazar’s great-grandfather was worth an estimated $6 billion when he died, and he earned the recognition of the Guinness Book of Records as the richest private citizen in the world in 1966.  

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has earned a ton of awards since she broke onto the American television acting stage. She’s a successful actress that many remember for her performances in the likes of Veep and Seinfield, and she’s also the progeny of Leopold Louis-Dreyfus, the founder of the Louis Dreyfus Group. 

Katie Holmes’ marriage to Tom Cruise led to the birth of Suri Cruise, who is their only child together. She inherited some of her father’s facial features, and she’s worth $25 million compared to her father’s $570 million. 

The founder of Nike, Phil Knight, is Travis Knight’s father, so it’s not surprising that Travis controls more than 38 million shares of the company. Phil Knight is worth about $33 billion, so Travis is due to earn a nice slice of that in the near future. 

Blue Ivy Carter’s parents, Beyonce and Jay-Z, make up the world’s most powerful celebrity couple, and there’s a lot of success and money between the two of them. Beyonce is worth $400 million, and Jay-Z is worth about $1 billion, making their daughter one powerful heiress indeed. 

Peter Brant II was born into a life of privilege; his father, Peter Brant, is a billionaire and the Chairman and CEO of White Birch Paper. His mother is supermodel Stephanie Seymour, and along with some siblings, Peter is the heir to their father’s significant wealth.  

Ariana Rockefeller’s great-great-grandfather is John D. Rockefeller, a philanthropist and business magnate that founded the Standard Oil Company. The company is credited for revolutionizing the oil industry in the United States, and it made her great-great-grandfather the richest man in the US, and to date, he’s still considered the richest person in the history of the United States. 

Megan Ellison’s father, Larry Ellison, is a billionaire and the founder of Oracle, a tech giant that provides software and data management system services. Megan’s father’s company is one of the largest tech companies in the world, and her father is worth about $67 million as a result. 

Jared Kushner’s father is Charles Kushner, the man that founded Kushner Companies, a property development organization that earns billions of dollars per annum. Jared is slated to earn a fourth of his family's business, and he is also married to Ivanka Trump. 

Dylan Lauren is the daughter of Ralph Lauren, one of the world’s most famous designers. Even though she will certainly get a nice slice of the family fortune, she ventured into business herself, and she’s been successful. 

Ally Hilfiger’s father, Tommy Hilfiger, is a famous designer and the founder of the Hilfiger fashion brand with an estimated net worth of $400 million. Ally isn’t a part of her father’s brand’s management but she does own a slice of it; she prefers to do her own thing, and reality TV was her starting point. 

Georgina Bloomberg’s father is Michael Bloomberg, one of the richest people in the world, and the former mayor of New York City. Georgina herself is a member of the US Equestrian Team board of trustees, a team that fights for animal rights. 

Tiffany Trump is the daughter of former US President, Donald Trump, who was worth $3.1 billion before he became President. It is unknown how much she will inherit from Trump’s sizable wealth but we do know that she’s a part of his estate planning process. 

No one really knows how much Chloe Green is worth herself, but we do know that her parents, Christina and Philip Green, are worth nearly $5 billion. The couple made their wealth from Taveta Investments, a UK-based company that owns and operates multiple retail outlets like Topman and Topshop. 

Ronald Lauder is the son of Estee Lauder, so his wealth comes from his mother’s makeup empire. Rather than forge his own path away from the family business, like his sister Lauren has, Ronald has been actively involved in the makeup empire’s management over the years. 

Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of Eugene Schueller, the founder of L’Oreal, a cosmetics company that has been around since 1907. After his death, his empire and wealth became Liliane Bettencourt’s until she died in 2017, leaving the family fortune to Francoise. 

Eden Sassoon’s father, Vidal Sassoon, was the founder of a hair-care company that made him worth about $200 million when he died in 2012. She got a slice of $7.3 million for the family, with the rest being sent out via multiple trusts. 

Allegra’s family name gives her away almost immediately; fashion designer Gianni Versace was her uncle, and he left half of his company to her before he was killed. After Gianni’s death, Versace became Allegra’s in 2004 but she wouldn’t join the company’s board until 2011. 

Jamie Laing is the great-great-grandson of Alexander Grant, the inventor of the hugely-popular Digestive biscuit that is now affiliated with McVities in the UK. Private investors purchased the company in 2000 but Jamie is still on course to inherit a portion of the family wealth. 

Paige Laurie is the granddaughter of Bud Walton, the co-founder of Walmart. After Bud died in 1962, his wife, Nancy’s mother, inherited a significant stake in Walmart, causing her to be worth about $5.5 billion. Paige herself is quite rich as she owns stocks and earns dividends from the company.

Lydia Hearst-Shaw was born into wealth and privilege; she’s one of William Randolph Hearst’s heirs so she’s worth quite some money herself. Besides her slice of the family fortune, Lydia followed her mother’s path to becoming a successful actress and model herself.

Petra Ecclestone is the daughter of Bernie Ecclestone, the man that served as the CEO of Formula One racing for forty years. Her father is credited for making Formula One a real sport during his reign as CEO; he also made a fortune for his efforts, and he’s worth an estimated $3.5 billion as a result. 

Douglas Durst’s grandfather, Joseph Durst, was an immigrant tailor that founded a real estate organization called The Durst Organization in 1915. His son and Douglas’ father, Seymour, took over management of the company after he passed in 1974, and now Douglas leads the company and controls a diverse portfolio of real estate assets worth an estimated $5.2 billion.  

You might recognize her from one of the Fifty Shades movies, or any of the dozens of other movies she’s been featured in, but you probably didn’t know that Dakota’s parents, Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, are screen legends themselves. 

With her absolute beauty, you would think that Scarlett Johansson was self-made. She has been a bundle of talent since she was a youngster, and as a result, she has starred in hundreds of movies over the years, including Black Widow and The Avengers. However, most would be surprised to find out she comes from a rich family. 

North West is the child of reality TV star and beauty entrepreneur, Kim Kardashian, and rapper Kanye West. Her parents have a combined net worth of over $600 million, and she also has three siblings, Chicago, Psalm, and Saint. 

Victoria Mars’ great-grandfather, Franklin Clarence Mars, founded Mars Incorporated in the early 20th century. The company has grown into one of the biggest private businesses in the world, raking in over $33 billion in sales of pet care, gum, and chocolate. 

Teresa Heinz Kerry’s late husband, John Heinz, inherited the Heinz empire and operated it until he died in 1991, leaving his fortune and empire to her. She married John Kerry but opted to be legally called Teresa Heinz because, according to her, that’s who she’s been all her adult life. 

Clare Bronfman is the daughter of Edgar Bronfman, Sr., a billionaire and philanthropist that made Seagram liquor the largest owner of alcoholic beverages on the planet in the 1990s. Clare inherited a nice chunk of his wealth after he passed, and as a result, she’s worth about half a billion dollars. 

Bradley Cooper’s father, Charles Cooper, was a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch, a job that meant he could afford to raise his child comfortably. Charles passed away from lung cancer in 2011 leaving Bradley a good fortune that he is using to help give back to associations that help fight cancer and Alzheimers. 

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, the daughter of Joe Germanotta, a business mogul that has worked for and operated several businesses over the years. Lady Gaga’s father made so much money from his ventures that she was sent to private school in her formative years. 

People may be surprised to see Jake Gyllenhaal on this list, after all, he has been a part of some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters and has made a great name for himself. However, Jake's father, Stephen Gyllenhaal, was a well-known film director who was not only able to guide his son through the industry, but also leave him a great fortune. 

Ariana Grande’s beauty set her apart during her time on Nickelodeon TV shows before she made the jump to music where she’s also been successful. She was born with a silver spoon as well; her father, Edward Butera, founded Ibi Designs, a creative studio in Florida. 

Edward Norton is the grandson of James Rouse, the man that invented the concept of the modern enclosed shopping mall. He also invested in low-income housing and designed places like the Baltimore Inner Harbor and Faneuil Hall. 

Michelle Williams became famous for her own success as an actress but she was actually born into wealth. Her father, Larry Williams, is a popular trader of commodities, and he has authored a couple of books on trading over the years. 

British award-winning singer, songwriter, and composer, Ed Sheeran, was born into a family where arts play a big role. His father, John, lectures on art, and his mother owns a jewelry company. 

Adam Levine is a famous music star with multiple chart-topping albums and singles, but he was born into a world of fashion. Adam’s father co-founded M. Frederic, an LA-based apparel chain that still exists today. 

Olivia Wilde is a successful actress, director, and producer that has been featured on over five dozen successful projects including The Lazarus Effect and Drinking Buddies which have seen her earn over $20 million over the course of her career. 

Chevy Chase’s mother was born Cornelius Crane Chase, and she was a plumbing heiress herself. Chevy’s grandfather inherited the Crane Valve Company but there were rumors that he left the family’s empire to his new wife after his death. 

Carly Simon is best known for her song, "You’re So Vain," but many people don’t know about her background in publishing. Her father is Richard L. Simon, the co-founder of the famous publishing company, Simon & Schuster. Growing up, Carly was raised between a gigantic estate in Connecticut and a townhome in Greenwich Village. 

Nick Kroll’s sense of humor made him rich and famous, but this wasn’t the case with his father, Jules Kroll, the founder of Kroll, Inc. and co-founder and chairman of K2 Intelligence. The older Kroll is quite successful, and he is credited for pioneering the modern investigations, intelligence, and corporate security industry; as a result, he is worth about $2 billion. 

Giada De Laurentiis is a celebrity chef from a family of famous people. Her mother is Veronica De Laurentiis, an Italian actress, and her grandfather is Dino De Laurentiis, a legendary movie producer. 

Sigourney Weaver was born into fame; her father is the late Sylvester L. Weaver Jr., the former chairman and president of NBC. He created shows like Today and Meet the Press, so he set the precedent for his daughter’s career as an actress. 

You probably know Kate Hudson from movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, You, Me and Dupree, and Fool's Gold, but all of this was achieved with a little help from her incredibly talented mother Goldie Hawn. Goldie was also an actress but a singer, dancer, and producer as well.