Paris Hilton is paying tribute to her beloved grandfather, Barron Hilton. The hotel magnate and philanthropist died at his Bel Air, California home of natural causes at age 91, CNN reports.
As a young man, Hilton was an entrepreneur for two decades before succeeding his father, Conrad Hilton, as chairman and CEO of Hilton Hotels Corporation in 1966, a post he held until his retirement in 1996. But in addition to greatly expanding his family’s hotel empire via lucrative real estate acquisitions and mergers, Barron was also a founding owner of the Chargers NFL football team and a prolific philanthropist. He proved to be a “mentor” to his famous granddaughter, Paris, the daughter of his son, Rick.
As news of Barron Hilton’s death made headlines, Paris took to social media to remember her grandfather as a “visionary.” In the caption to a montage of family photos, the wealthy businesswoman and DJ revealed that she has looked up to her grandfather as a mentor ever since she was a child.
In a second post, Paris posted more photos of her late grandfather. She wrote that while she is saddened by his death, she is happy that he has now reunited with his “soulmate,” her grandmother, Marilyn, who died in 2004.
Paris revealed that her grandparents were high school sweethearts who went on to have eight children after marrying in 1947. The Simple Life star added that her grandparents’ love and devotion to one another has always been an inspiration to her.
You can see Paris Hilton’s touching tributes to her grandfather Barron below.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of my grandfather Barron Hilton. He was a Legend, a visionary, brilliant, handsome, kind and lived a life full of accomplishment and adventure. Ever since I was a little girl I have looked up to him as a businessman. pic.twitter.com/eGFXAz1LUr
— ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) September 20, 2019
While Paris makes headlines for her catchphrases and her outfits as much as her business empire, she learned from the best. The reality star told ES Magazine that while she grew up in the lap of luxury thanks to the hotel empire that made her family rich, she had a strong work ethic instilled in her by her famous grandfather.
“We always had that work ethic, instilled in my father by his father, and passed on for generations in my family,” Paris said in 2017.
Through Paris Hilton Entertainment Inc., the entrepreneur now runs 19 product lines, including shoes and a fragrance line that has reportedly brought in over $2.5 billion in sales. Paris is also said to be the world’s highest-paid female DJ, earning up to $1 million a gig, according to MarketWatch .
In 2018, she credited her business savvy to her grandfather’s influence.
“I was always asking my grandfather and father for advice, it’s something that runs in my blood,” Paris said. “I didn’t want to be another of those trust fund kids but to build something of my own.”
