The Wealthiest Heirs In America
Potential Inheritance: $1.5 million
When his mother, heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, passed away in June 2019, her son, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, reportedly inherited around $1.5 million from her estate. This was a much smaller sum than some people speculated he would receive, considering the once-vast fortune of the Vanderbilt family.
Cooper told Howard Stern in 2014: “I don’t believe in inheriting money … I think it’s a curse… From the time I was growing up, if I felt like there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know if I would have been so motivated.”
Potential Inheritance: $2.3 billion
In 2007, businessman Barron Hilton, whose father Conrad Hilton founded the Hilton Hotels chain, announced that he was leaving most of his fortune to charity when he passes on. Still, if his granddaughters Paris and Nicky Hilton only inherit a fraction of his wealth, they’ll still likely be very rich.
Potential Inheritance: $3.4 billion
Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus isn’t just a television star. She’s also the daughter of a billionaire businessman, Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, who passed away in 2016. Although it was not reported how much Louis-Dreyfus may have inherited from her father’s estate, Forbes estimated his fortune to be around $3.4 billion in 2006.
Potential Inheritance: $50 million
When Benihana founder Rocky Aoki died in 2008, he left behind an estimated $50 million fortune. Although he had six children, Aoki reportedly disinherited four of them and instead chose to leave his estate to Steve Aoki and model Devon Aoki, his children from his third marriage. The two will reportedly not receive any of the money until they turn 45.
Potential Inheritance: $1.1 billion
Although their current positions in the White House are unpaid, both Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner come from wealthy real estate families and are likely to inherit a good deal of money someday. Prior to their roles in government, both held senior positions within their families’ companies. It’s reported that together they may have an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion.
Potential Inheritance: $180 million
Actor Armie Hammer, who’s starred in films like Call Me By Your Name and The Lone Ranger, stands to inherit money from his wealthy family. His great-grandfather Armand Hammer founded a successful oil company, Occidental Petroleum.
Of his privileged childhood, Hammer told the Hollywood Reporter, “We got to live in amazing places. We had great things, toys, stuff like that. We would drive around in really nice cars—but at the same time, if we rolled down the window, my mom would be like, ‘You’re wasting air conditioning!'”
Potential Inheritance: $40 million
As the daughter of two very successful entertainers, musician Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet, “Big Little Lies” star Zoë Kravitz is bound to inherit some wealth from her parents. Lenny Kravitz himself grew up in a well-off family and now owns homes in far-flung places like Brazil and France.
Potential Inheritance: $110 million
After her mother, comedian and TV personality Joan Rivers, died in 2014, Melissa Rivers reportedly inherited the bulk of her mother’s estate. US Weekly states that Rivers’ inheritance included $75 million in cash and a $35 million New York apartment. Her teenage son, Cooper, also reportedly received an inheritance.
Potential Inheritance: $400 million
Actress Allison Williams is best known for her roles on HBO’s Girls and the film Get Out, but she’s hardly the only successful person in her family. Her father, news anchor Brian Williams, has reportedly made as much as $10 million a year throughout his career. So it’s not a stretch to assume that Allison Williams will have more than a few dollars coming her way in the form of an inheritance.
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