The Wealthiest People With Fortunes Inherited By Their Families

Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban is a TV personality and entrepreneur. He was only 12 years old when he started his first business, selling garbage bags to buy a pair of pricey basketball shoes. For his college education, Cuban went to the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to Indiana University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in management. After college, he went on to work as a salesperson for Your Business Software. Throughout his career, Cuban ventured into various businesses, including the financing of Sharesleuth.com and creating the Fallen Patriot Fund to help families of US personnel. Most people might know him best for his TV appearances, but he is also one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $4.3 billion.

Tori Spelling

Victoria Davey Spelling started taking acting lessons when she was only six years old. Eventually, she made her TV debut through guest appearances for shows like The Love Boat, Hotel, Fantasy Island, and Saved by the Bell. Spelling got her big break portraying the character of Donna Martin on the popular show Beverly Hills, 90210. The actress has also written autobiographies, such as sTORI Telling, Mommywood, Uncharted TerriTORI, and Spelling It Like It Is.
Her father, Aaron Spelling, was a TV and film producer who received credit for producing over 218 shows and films. This includes Family, Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, and Beverly Hills, 90210. In 2006, Tori and Randy Spelling, her brother, both inherited $800,000 from their father’s estate.

Kyra Sedgwick

Sure, you know Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TV series The Closer and as Kevin Bacon’s wife. But did you know she is one of the wealthiest heiresses in the US? The 55-year-old star is born a millionaire, credits to her venture capitalist father, Henry Dwight Sedgwick. The 55-year-old star inherited a $16-million fortune from her dad back in the day.

Despite being a millionaire, Kyra didn’t stop working hard and made a name for herself. Aside from being an actress, she is also a producer and director. She is also part of another TV show, Ten Days in Valley and the movies The Game Plan and The Possession, among others. Kyra now has two kids with Bacon.

Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper is the son of a famous heiress, Gloria Vanderbilt, who came from one of the US’s legendary families. Although the 53-year-old journalist already has the insurance for living a well-off life, he said he never expected things to be easy for him because of his fortune. Anyhow, he has a trust fund from his mother.

According to reports, Cooper was set to inherit a sizable fortune, which was as much as $200 million. However, in his mother’s will, his eldest son, Leopold “Stan” Stokowski, was set to receive her Manhattan co-op worth $1.2 million, while Cooper would get the rest of her estate, which was valued at about $1.5 million. This sum was nowhere near the $200 million Cooper would reportedly inherit, but it couldn’t be denied that it was a huge inheritance.

Steve Wynn

Stephen Alan Wynn is a real estate businessman and well-known developer for the casino and hotel industry. Throughout his career, Wynn has been involved in constructing many popular hotels and casinos, including the Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Beau Rivage, Encore, and The Wynn. Outside of the real estate business, Wynn also has a number of investments when it comes to collecting artwork. These pieces can often be found on display in the establishments he owns. Among his collection are works by renowned artists like J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, Jeff Koons, and Vermeer. With a net worth of $3.1 billion, Steve Wynn is more than financially stable to indulge his hobbies, and expand his collection even further.

The Ziff Family

The Ziff family fortune is attributed to William Bernard Ziff Sr., who founded and made investments in a publishing business alongside Bernard G. Davis. This later became Ziff Davis Incorporated. After William Sr. passed, his son William Ziff Jr. took over the business and brought it to greater heights when he decided to redirect the company’s focus toward enthusiast magazines. They eventually acquired titles like Car and Driver, PC Magazine, and Computer Shopper. The outcome: manufacturers and retailers wanted their products to be advertised in these magazines, despite the fact that advertising sales were declining for most general-interest publications. Heirs Robert, Dirk, and Daniel, went to different business ventures, but there’s no denying the $14 billion fortune that the family made through publishing.

The Hunt Family

They are one of the wealthiest families today, with a fortune worth around $15.3 billion, and that’s thanks to HL Hunt Jr. who risked investments in oil properties. Haroldson Lafayette “HL” Hunt Jr. first purchased an oil property located in El Dorado, Arkansas. His employees later told him of a rumored oil field located in East Texas, which he soon bought for what was around $1 million at the time. As the story goes, he hit the jackpot!
His son, Lamar Hunt, founded sports leagues like the American Football League, Major League Soccer, World Championship Tennis. Lamar also established the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, which is currently owned by his son, Clark Hunt. When it comes to business, they certainly like to keep it within the family.

The Lauder Family

The Lauder family wealth can be traced all the way back to 1946, when Estée and Joseph Lauder founded Estée Lauder Cosmetics. Eventually, the company became one of the most influential names in the beauty industry. New generations have joined their family tree, and they still actively take part in the family business. The company has also expanded and now owns 30 different brands of makeup, including Bobbi Brown, MAC, and Clinique. Outside of the family business, Estée and Joseph’s sons have also been known to make investments towards collecting artworks. Over the years, the family have accumulated an approximate worth of $17.9 billion, but they still share what they have earned by supporting the fields of art, education, and health.

Lydia Hearst-Shaw

Lydia Marie Hearst-Shaw is a fashion model and actress, who has also made a name for herself as a lifestyle and fashion blogger. She has appeared on the covers of magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and has received acting credit for films like 2013’s Delirium and 2019’s Between Worlds.
Her grandfather, William Randolph Hearst Sr., is a publisher most notable for developing the newspaper and media company Hearst Communications. The story of his life has also been used as a reference for Orson Welles’ character in the 1941 film Citizen Kane. Lydia Hearst-Shaw currently has a an approximate net worth of $100 million thanks to her career in fashion, acting, and modeling for top brands like Prada and Louis Vuitton.

Eden Sassoon

Eden Sassoon is the daughter of the beauty icon Vidal Sassoon with actress Beverly Adams. Like her father, Eden went on to do business in the beauty industry and established the salon EDEN by Eden Sassoon. Though she was born to a wealthy family, Eden’s parents always encouraged her to work hard for her dreams. Other than owning her own salon, she also has investments in two studios for Pilates and Yoga. Eden had also been part of the show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. After her father’s passing, Eden and her brother Eland shared their inheritance of $7.3 million. With this fortune between the two of them, the siblings can easily go into any business venture they deem fit.