Some celebrities have enjoyed the A-list lifestyle since childhood, because their wealthy families sent them to the best private schools. Discover a few celebrities who were born rich, and ended up making their own millions.
From billionaire heirs to actors and singers who come from very rich families, here are the celebrities you might not know were born rich.
Taylor Swift
Born in a family with three generations of bank presidents, Taylor Swift definitely had everything as a child, as she grew up on an 11-acre estate. Her father works as a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch, while her mother retired from her position as a mutual fund marketing executive in order to become a homemaker.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
TV actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a lot of money when starring on “Seinfeld”, but she’s one of the celebrities who were born rich, so she could have simply spent her father’s billions. Julia is one of the three heiresses to the Louis Dreyfus Group fortune, but she pursued a career in theatre, before finding her calling in comedy.
Armie Hammer
As a great-grandson of industrialist Armand Hammer, Armie could have followed in his father’s footsteps and spend his life in business, but instead he decided to focus on acting. High profile roles in “The Social Network” and “The Lone Ranger” have helped him shake off the image of a trust-fund baby.
Kate and Rooney Mara
While Rooney opted for a movie career and starred in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, Kate became known for her role in “House of Cards”. As celebrities who were born rich, both had a privileged childhood thanks to big NFL money. Their family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.
Adam Levine
The Maroon 5 singer and “The Voice” coach, Adam Levine also had a comfortable childhood. His father founded M. Fredric, a clothing retail chain, and could afford sending Adam to a $30,000 a year private school, where he met some of his bandmates.
Lana Del Rey
Many celebrities who were born rich were educated at the finest schools, and Lana Del Rey’s parents spent more than $40,000 a year for their daughter’s education. Her father, who made his fortune in advertising, could even afford to purchase the rights to her first album from her independent label, before her big musical break.
Darren Criss
“Glee” star Darren Criss started his own musical theater company in Chicago, but he definitely had some help from his dad, an investment banker. Charles William Criss even started his own bank in Hawaii, EastWest Bank, and moved his entire family to Honolulu for a few years.
Michelle Williams
One of many celebrities who were born rich, Michelle Williams had a good start in life thanks to her father, a stock and commodities trader, who also ran for the US Senate twice. She first became interested in acting at the age of 9, when her family moved from Montana to San Diego.
Julian Casablancas
The lead vocalist of “The Stokes”, Julian Casablancas also has a very wealthy background. His father is the founder of Elite Model Management, one of the biggest modeling agencies in the world. Casablancas also studied at one of the most expensive boarding schools in Switzerland, Institut Le Rosey.
Brooke Shields
Some celebrities who were born rich also have ties to European nobility. Brooke Shields’ paternal grandmother was an Italian princess, and her father’s family tried to pay off her mother to terminate her pregnancy. She didn’t and ended up married to her baby’s father for just five months.
Nick Kroll
Comedian Nick Kroll, known for his role on “The League” and his Comedy Central series “Kroll Show”, also had a wealthy life before going into showbiz. His father founded a corporate investigations and risk consulting firm in 1972 and sold it for $1.9 billion in 2020.
Devon Aoki
Model and actress Devon Aoki is the daughter of Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, a former wrestler and the founder of the Benihana restaurant chain. She grew up in London and Los Angeles and with the help of her godmother, and she managed to start her modeling career at the age of 13 and become Kate Moss’ protégée.
Photos: PR Photos, Getty Images
