Paris Hilton Proclaims She’s ‘Self-Made’ — And Has ‘Done This All on My Own’

Paris Hilton may be a literal heiress, but she’s convinced she’s made her millions all on her own.

“I’m self-made. Like, I’ve done this all on my own,” Hilton, 44, told The Times of London in an interview published on Saturday, November 15, referring to her media business 11:11 Media, which is currently valued at $1 billion and employs 25 people.

“No one’s ever given me anything in my entire life,” she added.

Hilton is the granddaughter of billionaire hotel successor Barron Hilton, who died in 2019 and reportedly left 97 percent of his wealth to the Hilton family’s foundation — not to his children or grandchildren.

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Her parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, have a combined net worth in the hundreds of millions, however, and Rick inherited a significant amount of money from his grandfather, Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton brand hotels.

“We were extremely close and we would always have lunches and dinners, and he would always say to me, ‘Paris, you work harder than any CEO I know,’” Paris said of her grandfather Barron. “And he’s, like, ‘I used to be known as Barron Hilton but now I’m known as Paris Hilton’s grandpa.’ We would always laugh about it.”

Paris is the CEO and chairwoman of 11:11 Media, which promotes a variety of companies including Hilton hotels. The entrepreneur and former reality TV star also has a combined 40 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, The Times noted.

Paris’ expansive business portfolio includes clothing and scent lines, handbags and more. She’s also a professional singer, releasing her debut album Paris in 2006 and her follow-up album Infinite Icon in 2024.

Of course, any millennial will recall when she and former classmate Nicole Richie sprang to popularity with their reality series The Simple Life, which debuted in 2003. The show featured the duo attempting to experience life with “normal” families who come from significantly different backgrounds, often leaving the women to spend time in rural areas.

In her late teens, she even helped launch the career of none other than Kim Kardashian, who was working as her wardrobe assistant at the time. The pair, who were friends in childhood, were often photographed at events together.

While Paris was at one time a notorious party girl — especially in the early aughts, when she was frequently photographed out on the town with Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and others — the socialite told the outlet that her parents were “very, very strict” when she was growing up in Los Angeles.

“I lived such a sheltered life. Like, I was not allowed to wear make-up, not allowed to go on dates,” she said. “I didn’t really go to the school dances.”

When asked about that era of her life, the now mother of two told The Times, “I was just like any other young girl — growing up, going out — but I had the whole world watching. The media, especially the tabloids, they love to sensationalize everything.”

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She also said there were “Paris Hilton lookalikes” who were hired to imitate her, which only added to the media attention.

“They would wear sunglasses, they would have fake bodyguards, holding a chihuahua that looked exactly like my dog, dressed in the same exact outfits, trying to do, like, ‘the voice,’” she explained. “I couldn’t stop them.”