Money isn't everything, but it sure can help out. In the case of these 15 celebrities, they grew up very wealthy thanks to the work of their parents or even their grandparents and great-grandparents. So they didn't have to want for much while they pursued their own passions like acting, singing, fashion design, and more.
Of course, many of these celebs did work for their own careers and they deserve their success. But being born into financial privilege does give people a leg up, whether they can admit that or not. Some were better off than others (billions of dollars of family money versus millions), but all of them share that financially successful start in common. What they then did with that family money or leverage was up to them.
Rooney & Kate Mara
Owning one football team would already rake in a pretty penny, but Kate and Rooney Mara's parents own two NFL teams. Their dad owns the New York Giants and their mom owns the Pittsburgh Steelers. That seems kind of stressful come game day — which team are you supposed to root for? At least team High Family Net Worth is winning.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer's dad inherited a $180 million fortune, obtained in part from the family's legacy in the oil industry. When he became a successful actor, Armie added his own net worth to his family's massive wealth. He was reportedly worth about $16 million at one point thanks to his roles in hits like Call Me by Your Name.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore comes from a Hollywood legacy family. Her grandfather and father were also skilled actors, as was her great-uncle Lionel Barrymore, who you may know as Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life. In that sense, Drew was almost destined to join the family business — and she did. She began acting at a very young age and never stopped.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper didn't want for anything as a child. He's part of the wealthy Vanderbilt dynasty — his great-great-great-grandfather was the shipping and railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. And his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, built a lucrative business of her own in fashion. But by the time Gloria died in 2019, much of her estate had been whittled down. She left her son just $1.5 million. It's a lot, but nothing compared with her net worth in her heyday.
Carly Simon
Carly Simon is a talented musician with hit songs like "You're So Vain," so she was always going to create her own wealth. She's worth a reported $65 million due to her lengthy singing career. But she was also born well-off thanks to her father. Richard L. Simon was the cofounder of the successful publishing house Simon & Schuster.
Rashida Jones
Both of Rashida Jones' parents are quite impressive. Her late mother, Peggy Lipton, was an actress and model best known for appearing in Twin Peaks. And her dad, Quincy Jones, is a musician and producer with 28 Grammy wins under his belt. Being born into that family already made Rashida special, but she also carved out her own place in the industry with her work on The Office and Parks and Recreation.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Another comedy queen born into money is Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her dad, Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, ran a shipping company that was once valued at multiple billions of dollars. When he died in 2016, he was still worth a whopping $4 billion — a grand estate that was split between Julia, her siblings, and her stepmom.
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard grew up around movie and TV sets thanks to her famous father, director Ron Howard. So it was really only a matter of time before she joined the family business, too. When he was younger, Ron notably starred in series like The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days, but went on to become an acclaimed director and producer as well.
Nicole & Sofia Richie
Nicole and her sister, Sofia, have had it pretty easy in life, thanks to their famous dad. They're the daughters of singer Lionel Richie, whose expansive career has made him worth an estimated $200 million today. Of course, Nicole and Sofia now have their own projects to bring in money, but they were definitely raised in a privileged home.
Paul Giamatti
Actor Paul Giamatti's dad was kind of a big deal, but not in Hollywood like his son. Instead, Angelo Bartlett Giamatti was a noted professor who went on to become president of Yale as well as a commissioner for the MLB. Between Angelo and his son, they had a lot of prestigious industries covered with their talent.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton's last name comes from the Hilton — as in Hilton hotels. But she made a pretty big name for herself aside from that. "Yes, I came from Hilton hotels, but I've parlayed it into such a huge business that even my grandfather said to me, 'I used to be known as Barron Hilton. Now I'm known as Paris Hilton's grandfather,'" the socialite once said.
Balthazar Getty
Actor Balthazar Getty comes from one of the wealthiest families to ever exist — the Getty family. Most of their money comes from the oil industry, but they're also the founders of Getty Images. Balthazar's father was once even kidnapped and held for ransom because the Getty fortune was so massive. Quite a complicated legacy to be born into.
Stella McCartney
When your dad is a Beatle, you're going to be born pretty well-off. That's how it was for Stella McCartney, daughter of Beatles bassist and songwriter Paul McCartney. But Stella found her own groove, too. She grew up to be a celebrated fashion designer whose clothing is worn by many a royal and celebrity.
Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke's parents were both celebrated actors in their days. His mom, Gloria Loring, was on Days of Our Lives and his dad, Alan Thicke, was well known for Growing Pains. As for Robin, he's dabbled in acting himself, but he's best known for his musical talents. His biggest hit was the ever-controversial tune "Blurred Lines."
Sigourney Weaver
Some of the most recognizable programming that NBC has today is a result of Sigourney Weaver's father, Sylvester "Pat" Weaver. He created the Today and Tonight shows during his time as president of the network. The kind of money to come from those decisions would definitely have made little Sigourney's life easier growing up.
