Celebrities We Didn't Know Grew Up Rich

Celebs

| LAST UPDATE 02/22/2022

By Lia Thomson

While some stars struggled to pay the bills before their rise to fame, these celebs couldn't relate. Here's a list of famous people we had no idea came from wealthy backgrounds.

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal is probably notoriously known for starring in many films like Prisoners and Southpaw. With a successful director for a dad and an Oscar-winning screenwriter as his mom, it's clear why he went into the movie industry. 

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Steve Granitz / Contributor via Getty Images

His father, Stephen, directed the film, A Dangerous Women, and many more. While his mom, Noami Foner, was credited with writing parts of Very Good Girls. This famous family also includes actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. The four of them all lived comfortably in LA. Today, his net worth is around $80 million. 

Ariana Grande

This pop star grew up in sunny Boca Raton, where both her parents were successful and rich. Her father, Edward Butera, was the boss of the creative team at Ibi Designs. There he worked with famous stars like Eddie Murphy. Ari's mama was also a wealthy CEO for Hose-McCann Communications, a manufacturing company.

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C Flanigan / Contributor via Getty Images

Grande's dad was able to help the rising singer book gigs and shows because of his reputation with his job. Eventually, she was cast in a Nickelodeon series, Victorious, which launched her career at a young age. Today the 7 Rings artist is worth around 180 million dollars. 

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Lady Gaga

Before winning Grammy's left and right, Lady Gaga was growing up in New York City. Her childhood was nothing close to the chaotic lifestyle she led in the early 2010s. The Born This Way artist attended a private school in the Upper West Side, thanks to her dad, Joe Germanotta's, financial stability.

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Gaga's father made his hefty salary by working at a company that provided hotels with Wifi. The entrepreneur even founded an Italian restaurant in 2012, but he makes sure to mention his financial ability to open it had nothing to do with his famous daughter. Gaga is now worth 320 million dollars.

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Bradley Cooper

Just like his A Star Is Born co-star Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper was able to go to a private school located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. The actor could attend Germantown Academy because of his wealthy father. Charles Cooper made a comfortable living as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch.

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His dad was the one who introduced the youngster to films, inspiring Cooper to one day be an actor himself. Today, he has achieved multiple Grammy Awards for his talent. With a net worth of $100 million, this star definitely doesn't rely on his parents anymore.

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Taylor Swift

Before achieving international success, this country-turned-pop star lived in her parent's mansion in Pennsylvania. Taylor Swift's father made a living by working for Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor. Scott Swift made sure his family was well off, at one point even moving them to Nashville to help launch Taylor's career.

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Anthony Harvey / Contributor via Getty Images

In fact, he even still helps his daughter out financially. Just not in the way he used to. Scott is the creator of The Swift Group, a Wealth Management Group. With a net worth of $400 million, we can see why this record-breaking pop star asked her father for some backup with managing the wealth.

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Ed Sheeran

Seems like Ed Sheeran isn't the only creative one in his family. Imogen, his mom, owned her own jewelry company that was deemed successful. And his father, John, was an art teacher. The couple collaborated together and opened the Sheeran Lock, an art consultant company.

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Mike Marsland / Contributor via Getty Images

Ed grew up financially well off since his parents hosted luxurious art exhibits. A noteworthy achievement was their New York Exhibition for the United Nations Millennium. The singer himself has proved to also be successful in the arts, with nearly 7 charting songs. He's estimated to be worth $200 million. 

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Jonah Hill

Arguably one of today's most successful comedic actors is Jonah Hill. Being raised by parents who had major Hollywood connections was definitely a bonus. It's clear it was easy for him to enter the movie industry. Now, this hilarious star has a net worth of approximately 50 million bucks.

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Gregg DeGuire / Contributor via Getty Images

His dad, Richard Hill, was an account manager for the popular rock band Guns N' Roses. And Sharon Feldstein, his mom, worked on movie sets as a costume designer. Hill was raised comfortably before going off to star in some of our favorite comedies, like 21 Jump Street.

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Kristen Stewart

Ever wonder who manages the Grammy Awards show? Well, Kristen Stewart's dad does…well, he did. Both of the Twilight star's parents worked in Hollywood. Her father, John, was a stage manager, and her mother, Jules, had a career as a director and script editor.

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Amy Sussman / Staff via Getty Images

Thanks to them, Stewart not only had a comfortable childhood, but she also had connections in the industry. Which helped her become the well-known actress she is today. The Snow White and the Huntsmen star's net worth is approximately 70 million dollars.

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Anderson Cooper

It's possible that most people may be familiar with the Vanderbilt empire. But, what many don't know is that Anderson Cooper is a part of this upscale family. His mom was the acclaimed actress, fashion designer, and entrepreneur, Gloria Vanderbilt. She also grew up wealthy, being born into a 2.5 million inheritance.

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J. Countess / Contributor via Getty Images

When she sadly passed away, Vanderbilt was worth around 1.5 million dollars. Guess who received all that dough? Well, based on reports from Page Six, the CNN news reporter did. But, that kind of money appears low compared to Cooper's net worth of 12 million dollars. 

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Emma Stone

Emma Stone's work as an actress has helped her achieve her 26 million dollar net worth. But, living a lavish lifestyle with that amount of cash wasn't something new to the star. Her father was a multi-millionaire, his finances were actually a big help in launching Stone's career.

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Ben A. Pruchnie / Stringer via Getty Images

Jeff Stone provided for his family by working as the president and CEO of a construction company. Due to his economic success, he was able to comfortably move his household from Arizona to Los Angeles. Where his daughter got her big break in Hollywood.

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Paris Hilton

It comes as no surprise that Pairs Hilton was raised in a well-off family. Actually, there was never a time in her life where she didn't have money. Her materialistic personality can be seen in her show, The Simple Life. But where did all the wealth come from? 

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Paris's great-grandfather, Conrad, was the founder and owner of the Hilton empire. This means no matter where she goes around the world, this early 2000's star can rest her head in a lavish hotel. But, of course, she can now afford to get her own rooms (or even homes) with her estimated 300 million dollar net worth. 

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Adam Levine

Arguably best known for his hit songs with the group Marron 5 is Adam Levine. But his musical talents may not be genetic. His family comes from a long line of fashionistas. Levine's dad was able to provide him with a rich childhood because of his clothing company.

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Jason LaVeris / Contributor via Getty Images

Fred, his father, founded M. Frederic, an apparel boutique in Los Angeles. The store was opened in 1979 with Fred's sister, Mardi, and his wife, Lisa, as co-owners. Even though Adam didn't join the family business, the One More Night artist achieved financial success alone. His net worth is estimated to be 120 million dollars.

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Zoe Kazan

Zoe Kazan may be recognized from The Big Sick, What If, or any other one of her movies. Along with being a great actress, she is also an acclaimed writer. Which she most likely gets from her mom, Robin Swicord. She was the writer for Little Women.

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Gregg DeGuire / Contributor via Getty Images

Swicord wasn't the only one bringing home the big bucks. Zoe's father was also a redeemed writer. Nicholas Kazan wrote the Robin Williams film, Bicentennial Man. This talented family's wealth increased when Kazan joined in on the Hollywood fun. It's estimated that she is worth 3 million dollars.

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Jamie Lee Curtis

Acting most definitely runs in this family. Both of Jamie Lee Curtis's parents were famous stars. Janet Leigh, her mom, was the star of the notorious film Psycho. And her dad, Tony Curtis, is well known for his role in Sweet Smell of Success. As we know, Hollywood actors tend to make big bucks.

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Without the help of her parents getting her started in the biz, who knows if this star would have ever hit a net worth of 60 million dollars. Some of the movies that contributed to Curtis's wealth include Freaky Friday, Halloween, Knives Out, and more.

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Nick Kroll

While the majority of the stars on this list have surpassed their parent's net worth. Nick Kroll has a long way to go if he wants to reach his father's wealth. Jules Kroll is the co-founder of the company Kroll, Inc. The businessman is worth approximately 2 billion dollars.

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Paul Archuleta / Contributor via Getty Images

With that kind of cash, we can only assume Nick had a comfortable childhood. And probably also an awkward yet hilarious one, based on his show Big Mouth. Which is loosely based on the comedian's suburban upbringing. This star is estimated to have 18 million dollars.

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Lindsey Lohan

Lindsey Lohan's mom worked as a Radio City Rockette. On the other hand, her father was a broker on Wall Street. Michael Lohan was bringing in the money that allowed the family to live in a high-end New York suburban neighborhood. Unfortuenly it all came to halt in 1990.

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The infamous child star's father was imprisoned for fraud. He was sentenced to 3 years. Luckily for Lindsey, this all went down when her career was taking off. Meaning she no longer needed financial support. Her net worth is approximately 1.5 million dollars.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louise-Dreyfus has accumulated a sizable net worth, estimated to be $250 million. Even before fame, she was well-off. The actress is an heir to the Louis Dreyfus Group, a shipping conglomerate created in 1851! It was opened by her great-great-grandfather, and it got passed down to Julia's dad when it was worth millions. 

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The star never had to take over the company, because she found success on her own. As an actress, the 60-year old earned a whopping 600,000 dollars for each episode she starred on in Seinfield. Luckily for her, she's probably never had to struggle financially. 

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Ansel Elgort

Starring in successful movies like The Fault in Our Stars and Baby Driver, has provided Ansel Elgort with a net worth of nearly 12 million dollars. Having an abundance of money isn't something new to this actor. He was raised by two parents who worked in the entertainment industry.

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Gretha Barrett Holby, his mom, was a talented stage director, specifically for opera music. While his dad, Arthur Elgort, worked as a high-end fashion photographer, he even shot Vogue magazine. With such impressive careers, it seems clear that these two gave Ansel a plentiful youth.

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Jordin Sparks

This talented singer is the daughter of Phillippi Sparks, a former football player. He spent 9 years playing for the NFL as the defense cornerback for the New York Giants. As a skillful athlete, this father provided his family with above and beyond what was needed.

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While her father was working hard, Jordin focused on perfecting her singing voice for her American Idol audition. After winning the competitive show, Sparks went on to have 10 of her songs chart at top 20. She is believed to be worth at least 8 million dollars.

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Lana Del Rey

Born to millionaire parents is no other than Lana Del Rey. The singer, whose birth name was Lizzie, is the daughter of Robert and Patricia Grant Together the couple founded The Grant Family Foundation, which donated over a million dollars to colleges around the nation.

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Lana's father was also the owner of WebMediaProperties, created back in 1996. Its described by its website as a "global network of highly focused media portals." The publishing company is how Robert could afford a comfortable upbringing for Lana. The star is now estimated to be worth 30 million dollars. 

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Elle King

Elle King is arguably most recognized for her smashing hit song Ex's and Oh's, which hit Billboard's top 10. Something she may not be known for is that she is the daughter of actor Rob Schneider. He has been seen in films including Grown Ups The Hot Chick, Home Alone, etc.

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Her famous father has accumulated a net worth of 15 million dollars over the years. Meaning this talented singer probably grew up being well-off financially. She has also received a ton of success in her career as an artist. King is worth nearly 4 million dollars. 

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Brooke Shields

When Brooke Shields was born, her mother promised to use her wealth to make sure she had a successful career. Well, Teri Sheilds most definitely lived up to that vow. When Brooke was a teenager, she started modeling before gaining mass recognition after starring in Blue Lagoon.

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All her hard work has given Brooke the net worth she has today of 40 million dollars. But even before the launch of her career, she was well off. Her dad, Frank, had various incomes. He owned his own real estate firm, worked on Wall Street, and even had an executive position at makeup company Estee Lauder.

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Nicola Peltz

Nicola Peltz may be best known for her role on Bates Motel or Transformers: Age of Extinction. What's less known about this actress is that her dad is an entrepreneur. Nelson Peltz is the CEO of Trian Partners and a chairman of the fast-food chain, Wendy's. To add even more, Nelson is the director of 4 other corporations. 

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The busy businessman has been estimated to have a net worth of nearly 1.8 billion dollars. Meaning Nicola and her siblings grew up living a lavish socialite lifestyle in New York. Her debut acting role was when she was just 11 years old. Today, it's been said she has a net worth of approximately 50 million dollars.

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Rashida Jones

Rashida Jones's father is apparently worth 500 million dollars. That's probably accurate since he is Qunicy Jones, an infamous music producer, who achieved 8 Grammy Awards. The composer worked with many famous faces included Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.

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Obviously, with a career like that, it's no doubt Rashida grew up wealthy. But why did she take up an acting career rather than music? Probably because her mom was Peggy Lipton, who played Norma in the hit show Twin Peaks. It's a good thing she followed in her mom's footsteps because now Rashida is worth 25 million dollars.

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Salma Hayek

Before making it big in Hollywood by starring in movies like Frida and Savages, Salma Hayek was living a privileged childhood in Mexico. Her dad, Sami Hayek Dominguez, was an owner of an industrial equipment firm as well as an oil industry executive.

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Pascal Le Segretain / Staff via Getty Images

These companies provided a nice amount of money, meaning the actress could get whatever she wanted growing up. But, of course, she still needed to go to college. After graduating, she decided to start a career in the entertainment industry. Now she has accumulated her own net worth of around 200 million dollars. 

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Cara Delevingne

Arguably one of the most recognized faces in modeling, it comes as no surprise that Cara Delevingne's net worth is roughly 28 million dollars. She's walked down the runways for Balmain, Burberry, Chanel, and more. But before her career took off, she was growing up in London with her socialite family.

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Traverso/L'Oreal / Contributor via Getty Images

The British model once revealed to Vogue, “I grew up in the upper class, for sure. My family was kind of about that whole parties-and-horse-racing thing.” Her father, Charles Hamar Delivigne, was an affluent property developer. While her mom was a high society debutante. They both even had ties with the royal family.

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Gwyneth Paltrow

It comes as no surprise that this green juice-loving star grew up in the rich areas of Los Angeles. Just like their daughter, Paltrow's parents both had fortunate careers in Hollywood. Her mom, Blythe Danner, was an actress who starred in Meet the Parents, Meets the Fockers, and other films.

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And her father, Bruce, was a skillful TV producer. It appears that Gwenyth was likely being raised in a world that expected her to become the famous star she is today. Now, this actress, entrepreneur, and wellness expert has accumulated a wealth estimated to be 150 million dollars.

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Zoe Kravitz

Zoe Kravitz grew up with a rockstar for a parent. The Big Little Lies star, revealed to Vogue, what it was like having Lenny Kravitz as a dad. "I remember when ‘Fly Away’ was released, whenever my dad came to collect me, the whole school would swarm the parking lot." She never understood why her classmates were so excited.

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While it wasn't so peachy having a famous father as a youngster, it was probably beneficial for Zoe when she decided to become an actress. Her debut film was when she was just a teenager. Since then, her career took off, and now she has a net worth of 10 million dollars.

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Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus's career took off after she was cast as an international pop sensation on the hit show, Hannah Montana. Some may know that her dad in the show is actually her real-life father, Billy Rae Cyrus. He was a famous country star before his daughter was the star she is today. 

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In fact, the same year the Wrecking Ball singer was born, in 1992, Billy's record reached platinum a total of 9 times! His net worth had been said to be $20 million. Seems like some of Miley's talents were passed down by her father. Today, her net worth was estimated to be $160 million.

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Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde's affluent upbringing was all thanks to the success of her parent's career. The two of them actually worked together to create documentaries for famous news outlets, like 60 Minutes. Andrew and Leslie Cockburn were talented journalists.

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Before she comfortably got to travel around the globe, Wilde attended Georgetown Day School, an expensive private school. After that, she went to a boarding school in Massasshcueets, which tend to also be pricey. With a net worth of 20 million dollars, she can easily continue living an extravagant lifestyle.

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