Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American businesswoman, potential future heiress, producer and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton (founder of Hilton Hotels). Born in New York City and raised in both California and New York, Hilton began a modeling career as a teenager when she was with Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management.
Her hard-partying lifestyle and rumoured short-lived relationships with Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar de la Hoya led her to earn a position as a daily fixture in entertainment news — gossip-section Page Six, of the New York Post often includes articles about Hilton. Being known as a socialite, Hilton was hailed by the media as "New York's leading It Girl" in 2001. She went on to make cameo appearances in Zoolander (2001), Wonderland and The Cat in the Hat (both 2003).
Hilton gained significant notoriety for her participation in a sex tape, which was released in November 2003, shortly before the premiere of the television reality series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood best friend Nicole Richie. The show was a massive hit for the FOX network, premiering with 13 million viewers, and brought Hilton and co-star Richie to an international recognition.
She then released her 2004 tongue-in-cheek autobiography called Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, she landed a supporting role in the 2005 horror film House of Wax, and recorded the 2006 music album Paris. She starred in the reality show Paris Hilton's My New BFF which was filmed in 2008 and also resulted in a second season. The show proved to be a success and was branched out to 2009's Paris Hilton's British Best Friend and Paris Hilton’s Dubai BFF. Hilton was in 2008's Repo! The Genetic Opera, where her work gained critical acclaim.
She has appeared in various lists compiled by magazines such as Maxim, FHM as well as Stuff. She is also regularly placed on lists composed by Forbes magazine and was named one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time" by Men's Health. Critics also suggest that Hilton epitomizes the title of famous for being famous; she is an example of the modern phenomenon of the "celebutante", the celebrity who rises to fame not because of their talent or work but because of their inherited wealth and controversial lifestyle.
She has parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement — her fragrances have reportedly earned $1.5 billion. Currently, there are 55 Paris Hilton Stores worldwide and her brand includes, in addition to perfumes, purses, watches, t-shirts and shoes. She earns over $10 million a year from her brand and is paid $300,000 for appearances in clubs and events. As of 2012, her net worth is estimated to be $100 million.
