How The Hilton Family Became A Multibillion-Dollar Empire

Although Paris Hilton may be the Hilton most people are familiar with today, her family has a colorful past. What began as a single Hilton hotel in Texas in 1919 has expanded into a billion-dollar brand.

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So how did it come about? Here is a detailed look at the economic endeavors and private lives of the Hilton family.

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How It All Began

Hotel tycoon Conrad Hilton was the brainchild behind the renowned, 100-year-old Hilton business. Augustus Halvorsen & Mary Genevieve Hilton, who immigrated to the US from Norway in 1870, had seven children total when he was born in New Mexico in 1887.

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According to The Guardian, his father had a grocery store as well as the family let out rooms in their house.

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Conrad joined the US Army during World War I after receiving a foundation in commerce from his father.

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When Conrad, then 32, returned from the war in 1919 with $5,000 to invest, according to his 1979 New York Times obituary, he purchased a 40-room hotel in Cisco, Texas.

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Conrad converted the dining room into more rooms because the hotel was so popular. The building was designated a Texas historical site in 1970, despite the fact that it is no longer a hotel.

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Extending The Hilton Tyranny

Conrad persisted in acquiring and constructing hotels in Texas during the 1920s. In 1942, he at last began to venture outside the state. In 1942, he acquired a posh hotel in Los Angeles. The Hilton Hotel Corporation was established in 1946.

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At US$3 million, Conrad purchased the Waldorf Astoria in 1949. From Herbert Hoover through Barack Obama, the illustrious hotel, a landmark structure in New York, has served as a presidential retreat.

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Massive Investments

Conrad spent US$111 million buying the The Statler chair in 1954, which was the most expensive purchase ever made in real estate history. "The innkeeper of the world," he referred to himself as.

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His first marriage, to Mary Adelaide Barron, ended in divorce in 1934, leaving him with three sons. Conrad Jr., William Barron and Eric Michael each earned a name for themselves, as well.

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Conrad Jr. collaborated closely with his father as Conrad Sroldest .'s heir during a time of rapid expansion for the business.

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Until his passing in 1969, Conrad Jr. labored at Hilton alongside his dad and his two brothers. A heart attack claimed his life at the age of 42. He was the president of his father's charitable organization, the Conrad N. Hilton foundation, as well as the member and chair of the executive committee of Hilton's foreign operations at the time of his death. Barron led Hilton in joining the gambling industry after Conrad Jr. died.

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Following his service as a radar expert during the Korean War, the youngest brother, Eric, also served at Hilton Hotels. He began as a bellhop and rose through the ranks to executive chairman.

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Leaving a lasting impression

Ten years later, in 1979, Conrad Sr. passed away, leaving bequests for his three remaining children.

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Just before he passed away at the beginning of January 1979, he was still connected to Hilton Hotels. He had reached age 91. It was reported in his New York Times obituary that "he was at his desk six days a week" far into his 80s and "it was not unusual for him to dance until three in the morning, to appear for coffee and orange juice at eight in the morning, and then to carry on with a full day's program".

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He left just US$500,000 to each of his surviving kids, Barron and Eric, upon his passing. He gave his daughter Francesca $100,000 in his will. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation received the remaining portion of his money. According to The New York Times, "charity is a supreme virtue and the main channel through which the mercy of God is conveyed onto mankind," Conrad Sr. stated this in his will. He had a strong Catholic faith.

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At the time, Barron was serving as interim president of Hilton and challenged his father's will. He eventually acquired four million shares entirely, controlling 37% of Hilton's stock, and assumed the roles of the board's chairman and president and CEO. He left his position as chairman of the board in 1996 but continued to play a key role in Hilton Hotels' expansion in the 2000s, including personally choosing his successors.

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Contemporary Hiltons

Barron passed away in September 2019, leaving his eight children, 15 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, including Paris and Nicky Hilton, with just 3% of his wealth.

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Barron honored his father's original wishes by leaving the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 97 percent of his own fortune when he passed away in September 2019. This increased the foundation's endowment from US$2.9 billion to US$6.3 billion.

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Their father is Richard, Barron's sixth child, a developer and real estate broker. Kathy Hilton, a fashion designer, is their mother.

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The continual ascent of Paris Hilton

Throughout her teen years, Paris started modeling and then developed her own brand.

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She joined T Management in 2000 after spotting pictures of herself in the New York Post's "best dressed" fashion section. She continued to walk for numerous designer brands throughout New York Fashion Week.

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Then, in 2003, she had a sex tape made public. Paris received $400,000 as a result of the well-known legal dispute, which she gave to charity. She later played a socialite in The Easy Life, a Fox reality series that ran from 2003 to 2007.

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In addition to appearing in media as herself and making various cameos in movies, she also founded a retail empire and 29 perfume perfumes, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter at the time, had earned more than US$2.5 billion by 2018. Hilton has previously made up to $1 million a performance as a high-paid DJ.

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She now campaigns against abuse at facilities used to discipline teens and kids, and she has taken her cause to the White House and Congress Hill.

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Paris and Carter Reum, a writer and businessman, were wed in November 2021 after becoming engaged in February.

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I enjoy being married, Paris said in 2022 while appearing as a guest on an edition of The Bellas Podcast. I simply feel so protected and like I've finally found my perfect match.

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