Paris Whitney Hilton (1981) is an actress, model, fashion designer and singer, amongst many other things. She is most widely known as the rich American socialite of Hilton Hotel fortune who gained attention through a series of celebrity scandals and her reckless behavior.

As a child she was friends with as rich as she. Paris Hilton went to a boarding school, living in exclusive estates and befriending other wealthy socialites. She did some modeling as a child for charity events. At 19, she pursued this career further by signing up for Donald Trump's agency.

Paris Hilton gained media attention when a sex tape of her and her then boyfriend Rick Salomon was released. The video, which Hilton never intended to release, became a huge scandal and national sensation. It even won an AVN award for top renting release. This happened right before the premier of Hilton's TV show on Fox, a reality show called The Simple Life. The show, also starring Nicole Richie, was a huge hit and ran for three seasons. This, along with the sex tape scandal, gave Paris Hilton a reputation as a spoiled rich girl who likes attention. Around this time is when Paris Hilton began to get DUI violations. After repeated charges, Hilton was sentenced to a jail term in 2007.

Paris Hilton has her own autobiography, a cell-phone video game and a self-titled music album. Since Paris Hilton's grandfather donated 97 percent of the family's estate to charity, the Hilton grandchildren will have a considerably smaller fortune. However, Paris Hilton has done quite well as a public figure over the years. Between 2003 and 2006, Paris Hilton earned around $15.5 million. Paris continues to be a media sensation and a symbol of wealthy young socialites.