Paris Whitney Hilton born February 17, [ 3 ] [ 4 ] is an American media personality, businesswoman, children's rights activist, socialite, model, singer, actress, and DJ. She first attracted tabloid attention in the late s for her presence in New York City's social scene, ventured into fashion modeling in , and was proclaimed "New York's leading It Girl " in She has pursued acting in the films House of Wax and Repo! She has also performed as a disc jockey since A polarizing and ubiquitous public figure, Hilton is said to have influenced the revival of the " famous for being famous " phenomenon throughout the s.
Forbes included her in its Celebrity in , , and , and ranked her as the most "overexposed" celebrity in and Hilton has parlayed her media fame into numerous business endeavors. Under her company, she has produced content for broadcast media, launched a variety of product lines, and opened several boutiques worldwide, as well as an urban beach club in the Philippines. On their father's side, the four are great-grandchildren of Conrad Hilton , who founded Hilton Hotels , and grandchildren of Barron Hilton.
Their maternal aunts are television personalities Kim and Kyle Richards. Her relatives have described her as "very much a tomboy " who dreamed about becoming a veterinarian. Her mother recalled her saving money to buy monkeys, snakes, and goats, and once leaving "the snake out the cage [ Her mother enrolled her in etiquette classes with the idea of introducing her as a debutante , which Hilton was at first reluctant to do, as she did not find it to be "real" or "natural".
She described it as "very proper, very prim, almost like a Stepford wife ". Paul the Apostle School , finishing elementary school in In , Hilton and her family left California for the East Coast.
In New York City, Hilton had a rebellious youth, regularly skipping classes and sneaking out to parties. On this period, Kathy remarked: "Let's put it this wayβit got very out of control and I was scared for her. And my husband was very scared for her.
