Top 10 Richest Heirs and Heiresses in America

A member of the Bronfman family – who attained their wealth primarily through ownership of the now defunct Seagram’s alcohol distillery - Clare Bronfman is one of the world’s richest heiresses. In her younger years, Bronfman enjoyed a successful career as an equestrian, notably winning the Grand Prix in 2002. In the 21st century, Clare Bronfman is infamously known for her involvement in NXIVM, an organization that many have described as being a “cult”. In 2019, Bronfman, who served as the company’s operations director (as well as a major financial contributor), pled guilty to charges that included “conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal aliens for financial gain.” As such, just how much of her father Edgar Bronfman Sr’s $2.6 billion fortune was left to her remains a mystery, though it’s believed to be upwards of $500 million.

Who knew that being the heir to a fortune built on ketchup could be so lucrative? In 1966, John Heinz, heir to the Heinz Ketchup fortune, married Teresa Simões-Ferreira. Sadly, Heinz died in a plane crash in 1991. Reports differ on how much of his fortune was left to her. Some sources claim a prenuptial agreement resulted in the separation of their premarital assets, while others state that Heinz left between a half a billion dollars up to the entirety of his wealth to his wife. Though the whole truth is difficult to come by, what we do know is that the businesswoman and philanthropist went on to marry her husband’s political colleague (and future Presidential candidate) John Kerry, in 1995. In 2008, Teresa Heinz Kerry was said to be worth upwards of a billion dollars. Today, it’s believed she’s worth between $750 million and $1.2 billion.

You’ll be getting two heirs for the price of one in this entry. Investor, real-estate developer, and newspaper publisher turned Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner is the son of Charles Kushner, a real estate magnate, who, in 2017, was reported by Forbes to be worth in excess of $1.8 billion. Clearly not content to simply inherit his father’s enormous wealth, Jared Kushner married Ivanka Trump, heiress to the Trump real estate fortune. Their combined net worth is said to be over $1 billion. However, this does not include the money both will ultimately inherit from their fathers in the future.

The source of this heiress’ wealth can be found right there in her name. In 1997, famed Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace was fatally shot outside of his home at the age of 50. At the time of Versace’s death, 30% of his company was owned by his brother, Santo, and 20% was owned by his sister, Donatella. In his will, Gianni left the remaining 50% to his niece, Allegra Versace, who was just 11 years old at the time. While the fortune officially became hers when she turned 18, Allegra opted not to join the family business until she completed her education six years later. Today, Allegra Versace Beck is worth between $800 and $900 million.

The great-great-granddaughter of America’s first billionaire, John D. Rockefeller, a man who many consider to be the richest in modern history, Ariana Rockefeller is set to inherit a substantial amount of money in the future. While her family has been estimated to be worth $11 billion as of 2016, that amount has been divided up between 174 different family members, according to Forbes. As such, Ariana Rockefeller will only receive a portion of the total amount. Boo hoo, right? Despite her family’s wealth, Ariana has carved out a nice little career for herself in the fashion industry as a designer and is currently involved in a number of charitable causes, and her own net worth is currently estimated at about $2.8 billion.

Legendary cosmetics mogul Estée Lauder passed away in 2004, leaving the sum of her substantial fortune to her sons Ronald and Leonard. The two heirs are worth billions, with Ronald sitting comfortably atop a sum of $4.3 billion. Throughout the years, Ronald Lauder has put his wealth and influence towards a number of philanthropic causes and he has been serving as the President of the World Jewish Congress since 2007, international federation whose goal is to “act as the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people." Ronald Lauder’s daughters, who joined the family business, are also heiresses, with Aerin worth about $2.7 billion and Jane worth approximately $4.2 billion. Hmm, wonder what their family gatherings are like…

The daughter of celebrated fashion designer Ralph Lauren, Dylan Lauren is no slouch. Despite her father’s considerable wealth, Dylan has worked hard to establish herself as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. She is the owner of Dylan's Candy Bar, a chain of US based candy shops headquartered in New York City; and served as a judge on season one of the ABC show “The Toy Box”. While she’s currently worth $50 million, she’s set to inherit a heck of a lot more than that when her father passes away; as he’s worth $6.3 billion.

The grandson of Joseph Durst, who in 1915 founded, a real estate company that controls billions of dollars in properties known as the Durst Organization, Douglas Durst currently serves as the chairman of the eponymous family business. The long-time heir to the family fortune is now the man in charge and as such has control of the family’s enormous fortune. In 2015, Forbes reported that the Durst family was worth $5.2 billion, with Douglas Durst himself worth $4.4 billion. Douglas’s three children are certainly very lucky to have such a wealthy father!

We’ve discussed a lot of heirs and heiresses today, but Victoria B. Mars is definitely the sweetest. While we’re sure she has a lovely personality, we’re actually referring to the source of her family’s wealth: chocolate and candy. In 1911, Franklin Clarence Mars (Veronica’s great-grandfather) founded Mars, Incorporated, known for its confectionary treats. The company has remained relevant (not to mention enormously successful) for over a century, with individuals like Veronica B. Mars now reaping the rewards of her family’s decades old business endeavor. Mars, Incorporated is one of America’s largest privately held companies, with a revenue of $35 billion; and Victoria B. Mars, who serves as its chairman, has a net worth of $6.5 billion.







Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:



Julia Louis-Dreyfus









Balthazar Getty







Paris Hilton









Ally Hilfiger







Petra Ecclestone

The granddaughter of 20th century newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, Patty Hearst gained national attention when she was kidnapped by a terrorist group in 1974; and subsequently committed crimes with them after years of forced indoctrination. Despite an initial sentence of 35 years in prison, Hearst’s sentence was commuted to time served by President Jimmy Carter and she later received a full pardon from President Bill Clinton. Today Patty Hearst is an author, actress and socialite and is one of 67 people sharing in the famous family fortune that’s estimated to be between $24.5 and 30 billion. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Lydia Hearst-Shaw, a model and actress, is an heiress in her own right, said to be currently worth about $100 million, and who will one day inherit her share of the Hearst fortune.