By Wonderwall.com Editors 8:00am PST, Dec 26, 2023
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Many stars who found fame in their careers didn't necessarily need the fortune that came with it: They were born into wealthy families! Join us as we take a look at some of the stars who come from rich families…
"Veep" and "Seinfeld" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born to the late French billionaire Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, ex-chairman of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services who had an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion in 2006. Her great-great-grandfather founded the Louis Dreyfus Group.
Keep reading to see more celebs whose families have large bank accounts…
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Ed Sheeran's dad, John Sheeran, is an art lecturer and former museum curator. He and Ed's mom — Imogen, an arts and media relations expert and jewelry designer — founded art consultancy firm Sheeran Lock, which organized art exhibitions and educational projects for various governments, businesses and political figures, including Prince Charles and the United Nations.
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Grammy- and Oscar-winning music icon Carly Simon was also born into wealth: Her father, the late Richard L. Simon, was the co-founder of the world-famous publishing house Simon & Schuster.
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Darren Criss has cultivated an ultra-lucrative career of his very own — but did you know he isn't unfamiliar with wealth? The "Glee" and "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" actor is the son of late investment banker Charles William Criss Jr., who was responsible for opening the first Chase Bank locations in San Francisco. He also started EastWest Bank in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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Rooney Mara and sister Kate Mara are not just actresses — they're football royalty! Mom Kathleen McNulty's family founded the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dad Timothy Christopher Mara's family founded the New York Giants. Their uncle, John Mara, is the president, CEO and co-owner of the New York Giants and has an estimated net worth of $500 million. Rooney has described football as "the glue that holds our family together."
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Nicola Peltz might have married into the affluent Beckham clan in 2022, but she comes from an even wealthier family. The "Bates Motel" actress is the daughter of billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz — who has an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion — and model Claudia Heffner.
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According to Forbes, Taylor Swift had an estimated net worth of about $570 million in 2022. And in 2020, she was the world's highest paid musician. But the pop star is no rags-to-riches story. Her father, Scott Swift, is a wealth management advisor and senior vice president at Merrill Lynch, and her mother, Andrea Swift, was a mutual fund executive until she quit to raise her kids. Andrea is also the daughter of an oil man.
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Adam Levine is the son of Fred Levine, founder of the Los Angeles-based clothing boutique M. Fredric. Thanks to his affluent upbringing, Adam attended a private school where he met two of his Maroon 5 bandmates, Jesse Carmichael and Mickey Madden. Adam followed in his father's footsteps and launched a clothing line for Kmart. Now the former "The Voice" coach has an estimated net worth of $160 million.
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Brooke Shields comes from a family of wealth — and royalty. Her paternal grandmother, Donna Marina Torlonia, was an Italian princess. The Torlonias were a wealthy banking family. Brooke's parents also did well financially. Her late father, Francis Alexander Shields, was a Revlon Cosmetics executive, and her late mother, Teri Shields, was an actress, film producer and socialite. As for Brooke? Thanks to her modeling and acting careers, she's worth an estimated $40 million.
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Lana Del Rey's father, Rob Grant, founded WebMediaProperties.com, an online media and publishing company that operates a global network of 8,000 specialty web sites. He's also the CEO and president of Point Judith Properties, Inc., a real estate holding company located in New York.
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Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid are two of the biggest names in fashion, but long before the celebrity sisters were inking lucrative business deals with everyone from Balmain to Tommy Hilfiger, their father, Mohamed Hadid, was one of the biggest names in the property game. The real estate developer was previously reported to have a worth $100 million — though due to legal troubles, it's supposedly now estimated at $5 million.
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Kristen Stewart grew up in the entertainment industry. Dad John Stewart is a stage manager and producer. Mom Jules Mann-Stewart is a director and script supervisor. Growing up, Kristin lived in the Hollywood Hills in a $1.75 million mansion. She continues to live in luxury thanks to her own paychecks from her acting career including her notable work as Bella Swan in the "Twilight" movie franchise. Currently, Kristen's net worth is estimated at $70 million.
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Bang bang? More like cha-ching! Ariana Grande's dad, Edward Butera, is the founder and president of ibi Designs Inc., an advertising, design and e-marketing company that reportedly counts Eddie Murphy and FAO Schwarz among its high-profile clients.
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Michelle Williams' father, Larry R. Williams, is an author, commodity trader and politician. He's funded a six-figure scholarship at the University of Oregon since 1999. You do the math!
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Armie Hammer comes from a very wealthy family. Dad Michael Armand Hammer owned businesses including Knoedler Publishing and Armand Hammer Productions. To add to that, Armie's great-grandfather was oil tycoon and philanthropist Armand Hammer. And his great-grandmother was Russia-born actress and singer Olga Vadimovna Vadina. It's safe to say that acting and financial success are a part of Armie's DNA!
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Rose Leslie is one step away from royalty. The "Game of Thrones" alum was born into a Scottish noble family and raised at Lickleyhead Castle in Aberdeenshire, her family's 15th century ancestral seat in Scotland. Today, her family lives in another castle (because why own one when you can own two?!), the 12th century Warthill Castle.
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Anderson Cooper is a Vanderbilt heir! His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, is the only child of millionaire equestrian Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt. And while Gloria's fortune is estimated to be at around $200 million, Anderson revealed that he won't be getting a dime from his mother. "My mom's made clear to me that there's no trust fund. There's none of that," he told Howard Stern in 2013. "[And] I don't believe in inheriting money."
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Allison Williams is the daughter of television journalist Brian Williams and TV producer Jane Stoddard Williams. In 2015, The Wrap reported that Brian was making close to $15 million when he was the anchor of "Nightly News" on NBC. With his move to MSNBC, Brian reportedly still earned close to $10 million a year. His net worth is estimated at $50 million, so it's safe to say that Allison lived in comfort growing up. But the "Girls" star's own reported net worth of $5 million is growing.
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Miley Cyrus was destined for fame. But she was born into a fortune. With country star Billy Ray Cyrus as her father, she grew up on a 500-acre farm in Franklin, Tennessee. Miley went on to build her own successful music career after her "Hannah Montana" Disney days and is now worth far more than her "Achy Breaky Heart"-singing dad: Miley's net worth is estimated at nearly $160 million while Billy Ray's is $20 million.
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In some circles, Paul Giamatti isn't the most famous member of his family. The Oscar nominee's late father, Bart Giamatti, was a former literature professor who served as the president of Yale University as well as the seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball.
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Ansel Elgort was born into money. His father is famed fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, who's long collaborated with Vogue magazine, and his mother is Grethe Barrett Holby, an opera director and creative producer. Ansel seems to have surpassed his dad's wealth now though: The "West Side Story" actor has an estimated net worth of $12 million while his photog father has a net worth of $2 million.
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Willow Smith and Jaden Smith have parents Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith to thank for their privileged upbringings. Jada and Will are both high-paid actors with enormous net worths: Jada's is an estimated $50 million, while Will's is a whopping $350 million. Both Willow and Jaden have followed in their parents' footsteps and starred in films and made music. Yet it's hard to separate their talents from their family name.
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Who knew comedian Nick Kroll grew up in a loaded family?! The "Big Mouth" star and "The League" alum is the son of Jules B. Kroll, who's the founder of Kroll, Inc. In 2004, Nick's father sold the corporate investigations and risk-consulting firm for $1.9 billion!
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Robin Thicke was born to stars. His father, the late Alan Thicke, was a household name thanks to his role as Dr. Jason Seaver on "Growing Pains," and mom Gloria Loring-Lagler played Liz Chandler on "Days of Our Lives" for five years. Alan's net worth was an estimated $40 million when he died suddenly in December 2016, but Robin has been doing well for himself too. He has a reported net worth of $10 million.
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Tori Spelling is the daughter of philanthropist Candy Spelling and the late film and TV producer Aaron Spelling. Aaron was the executive producer of many popular shows including "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Dynasty," "The Love Boat," "Charlie's Angels" and more classics. When he passed away on June 23, 2006, Candy inherited his $600 million estate. In Tori's 2013 memoir "Spelling It Like It Is," she wrote about her privileged upbringing. "I grew up rich beyond anyone's dreams," she explained. "Even when I try to embrace a simpler lifestyle, I can't seem to let go of my expensive tastes. And then there's my little shopping problem… I can't afford to live like this anymore. Our circ*mstances have changed. They say admitting the problem is the first step."
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Oscar gold has so far eluded three-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, but the esteemed actor has likely been familiar with literal gold since he was a kiddo. His grandfather is real estate mogul James Rouse, who invented the modern shopping mall.
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Christian Combs and Quincy Brown know all about growing up wealthy. The actor and model are both sons of hip-hop mogul Diddy, who's worth an estimated $900 million! Even though they grew up in luxury, the pair are trying build successful careers on their own. Quincy is an actor and Christian has modeled for Dolce & Gabbana.
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Paris Hilton grew up with the Hilton hotel family wealth. She is the great-granddaughter of hotel giant Conrad Hilton. Her father, Rick Hilton — the chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland, a real estate brokerage firm based in Beverly Hills — has a reported net worth of $300 million and her grandfather, Barron Hilton, had a reported net worth of $4.5 billion at the time of his death. As for Paris? Her net worth is estimated to be around $300 million. "I could easily have been just another trust fund kid and not worked and just accepted the money from my family," she told The Mirror in 2013. "But at a young age, I decided I wanted to make my own name and be independent and not have to ask for anything." These days, the heiress and former reality star makes her money from her perfume and fashion lines, club appearances, reality TV and DJing.
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In 1983, Nicole Richie moved in with singer-songwriter Lionel Richie and then-wife Brenda (they legally adopted her when she was 9). His first album, 1982's "Lionel Richie," sold 4 million copies, and his 1983 album "Can't Slow Down" sold double that. He had many hits during Nicole's early years including "All Night Long," "Hello" and "Say You, Say Me." Nicole grew up in celebrity circles and she and old pal Paris Hilton even had their own reality show, "The Simple Life," in 2003, where they left their lives of luxury to move in with a farm family for five weeks. Lionel's current net worth is estimated at $200 million, and his daughter is well-to-do too. Nicole, who founded the lifestyle brand House of Harlow, is married to musician Joel Madden and has an estimated net worth of $40 million.
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As the child of actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand, Angelina Jolie grew up in Hollywood where her father, who left her mom when she was young, has been a very successful and in-demand actor for decades. Jon reportedly amassed a fortune over the years and now has a net worth estimated at around $55 million. The "Maleficent" actress, however, has now surpassed her father in wealth and is reportedly worth $120 million.
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Kelly Osbourne and brother Jack Osbourne grew up with millions thanks to their parents Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne. As his wife and manager, Sharon helped Ozzy launch his successful solo music career after his time with Black Sabbath and helped create Ozzfest. While the couple have been rich for decades, Ozzy's current reported net worth is a whopping $220 million. The whole family (minus sister Amy) famously starred on their own MTV reality show from 2002 to 2005, after which they sold their home to Christina Aguilera for $11.5 million.
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Rashida Jones is the daughter of late actress Peggy Lipton and record producer, musician and media mogul Quincy Jones. Quincy's net worth is estimated at about $500 million.
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Bryce Dallas Howard is the daughter of actor-director Ron Howard. At 7, Bryce was allowed to be an extra in her dad's movies. She and her siblings were raised on an estate in Westchester, New York and later on a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. In 2014, her childhood home in Westchester sold for $27.5 million. Ron's current net worth is estimated at $200 million, but Bryce has not done so badly herself with her own acting career: The "Jurassic World" actress has an estimated net worth of $25 million.
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When your dad is a Beatle, the living is easy. Paul McCartney's daughter Stella McCartney was born not long after the Beatles broke up. Despite Paul's success, he and her mother, late photographer and musician Linda McCartney, wanted to give their kids a more normal upbringing, so they raised Stella and her siblings in a modest farmhouse. But the money was always there. Paul's current net worth is around $1.2 billion. Stella spoke to CNN in November 2014 about how her parents opened doors for her that led her to become a fashion designer. "I'm not going to pretend I didn't come from a privileged starting point. I'll always admit that it was easier for me to question people telling me I couldn't do something because I had a pretty nice place to fall back on," she said. "So maybe that afforded me a little more spark and fight."
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According to Forbes, Kim Kardashian has an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion as of April 2022. But big money is nothing new to the Kardashian clan. When patriarch Robert Kardashian died of esophageal cancer in 2003, he reportedly left a $100 million trust for his four kids (Kim, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Rob Kardashian) and third wife Ellen Pierson.
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Jordin Sparks' dad, Phillippi Sparks, played professional football for the New York Giants from 1992 to 1999 and for the Dallas Cowboys until he retired in 2001. Meanwhile, the "American Idol" alum's mom, Jodi Jackson, is a jewelry designer, entrepreneur and real estate agent who runs a management and consulting company as well as The M.A.D. Girls charity.
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As a child, Chevy Chase vacationed at an estate called Castle Hill. Chevy's maternal grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane, heir to The Crane Company. Chevy's father, Edward Tinsley Chase, was a book editor and writer who published hundreds of manuscripts on politics and public policy. Edward's second wife was a member of the Folgers coffee family. Despite all that wealth, Chevy has said that he was raised in an upper-middle-class family and that Cornelius didn't leave any of that Crane Co. fortune to Chevy's mother. But the "Saturday Night Live" vet has done just fine for himself: After all of his film success including his "National Lampoon's Vacation" classics, he has an estimated net worth of $50 million.
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Ivanka Trump is a wealthy businesswoman now, although she's put her career as a designer and executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization on hold so that she can serve as an advisor to her father, President Donald Trump, in Washington. But she comes from serious money. In 2016, her dad claimed he was worth more than $10 billion with an income of $557 million a year. He amassed his wealth thanks to his father's real estate company, where he got his start in business. When his father died, Donald received an inheritance reportedly worth between $40 and $200 million. He continued to make money through real estate investments and putting his name on everything from hotels to ties. He also famously starred on the reality show "The Apprentice" alongside his kids (including Ivanka) before becoming the 45th president of the United States of America.
