Grandpa Hilton -- Not As Nice As You Think

According to a new book released yesterday, Paris' grandfather, Barron Hilton, wrested away millions of dollars that his dead father intended to leave to the poor -- the exact opposite of his recent charitable announcement. Feeling guilty, maybe?
Read an excerpt from the book
Barron made headlines this week when he said that he was bequeathing 97% of his fortune to charity, the majority of which would go to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, named for his father. When Conrad passed, he too planned to leave the bulk of his fortune to the foundation, but Barron had slightly different plans.

The new book, "Free Lunch" by David Cay Johnston, details how Barron fought for years to gain control over his father's assets, eventually receiving "more than half of the value of the stock in his father's estate, about 250 times the amount specified as a gift in his father's will."

Johnston says that at the time, Barron argued that he was trying to retain control of the Hilton hotel chain for the family. Earlier this year, Hilton Hotels was sold to the Blackstone Group for $26 billion. Extended family, perhaps?

Reader Comments

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31. Are you people idiots?
This foundation is a way to hide their money from the IRS. It has nothing to do with how anyone has acted, some of you are real morons here.

Posted at 3:59PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Jizy

32. this is to "addicted". it has been over 2 years since hurricane katrina hit us over here in louisiana. the people that did lose their homes, etc. should get off their lazy butts and quit having everything donated to them. this is why they are so lazy they expect hand outs from everyone.

Posted at 4:03PM on Dec 28th 2007 by anastasia

33. Old Conrad is the biggest crook of all!!!!!!!!!!!! He stole the inheritance from poor people's charity, and now he wants to judge Paris???WTF??? I am not a Paris fan, but at least she works with her books and perfume. What a hypocrite old Grandad is!!!!! Too bad Big Kathy and Little Kathy pimped poor Paris out, or she might be a good veterinarian today!

Posted at 4:09PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Veronica Madaris

34. We are so sick of hearing about the poor "Katrina" victims........no one told them to live where they were (below sea level)
and no one in their right mind would live in New Orleans.....filth and ignorance and crime are off the chart.
Brad Pitt is doing it for just what he is getting publicity. Maybe they need another storm to again clean up that town.
What he does with the money is no ones business.

Posted at 4:16PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Rosey

35. Good for him! Given Paris' talent, she may actually have to get a real job one day. It amazes me that with all that money her parents didn't use some of it to make sure their kids got a good education, the best money can buy. Instead they turn out a complete idiot who takes the "dumb blonde" act to a whole new level. Only the sad part is, its not an act. I'd be embarrassed if my child, having been born with a silver spoon in its mouth, grew up to be the butt of everyones dumb blonde jokes. Theres just no excuse. Maybe Grandpa Hilton realized this and decided they ALL needed a good reality check. Folks, no matter how much money you have, don't dismiss the importance of a decent education. Who wants their kids to be laughed at and made fun for being rich yet blatantly ignorant? Its disgusting.

Posted at 4:22PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Key West Conch

36. *********************** EUREKA !!!!!!!!!!!!!! ***********************

I THINK WE FOUND THE ONE AND ONLY HILTON WHO ACTUALLY HAS A GOOD HEAD ON THEIR SHOULDERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 4:24PM on Dec 28th 2007 by noitall

37. If you think Pari sis in the poor house you are dreaming. This is just a legal manuever people. I have seen it dozens of times used by the wealthy.

Posted at 4:39PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Sam45

38. Notice how Paris wants to coin the phrase "That's Hot", well that's cause she, all of her friends, and all of her relatives have reservations to have their own place to live in, while spending the rest of eternity in Hell. They can call it the "Hilton-That's Hot-Hotel". This hotel is God's way of making sure all the Hiltons can spend the rest of eternity in their exclusive part of Hell, so they don't have to share it with anyone else...

Posted at 4:54PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Happy to be Me

39. Paris will be just fine. She is smart enough to have turned her 15-minutes of celebrity into an empire. She will continue to reap in $s from product endorsements and her perfumes. For some odd reason, people (actually, stupid people) admire her on some level. The real treat will be see Kathy & Rick suffering without that expected windfall. Kathy is the Patsy Ramsey of Los Angeles, a sad, pathetic nobody who craves attention. Is it any wonder Paris turned out the way she did? Get a job Kathy, or better yet, divorce Rick and spread for some rich, oil sheik.

Posted at 4:53PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Lana Caine

40. So if the hotel chain was sold for 26 Billion -- who profited from that and where is that money?

Posted at 4:54PM on Dec 28th 2007 by thrasherbetty

41. You people better believe me, he is not going to leave that money beside to anyone, except the charity in his fathers name. Barron fought too hard for that money from his father. Trust me - he will not give it away willie nillie. I know Barron and trust me, he is not the kind of person to just give anything away - especially the hard earned money he fought over his father for. He might make it a little more difficult for Paris and her parents to get a hold of it, but he's not like giving it to the NAACP or USC. It's going into a like a Trust.

Posted at 4:58PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Curtis S. Wilson

42. thrasherbetty,

That's a good question.....Where did all of that money go?

Posted at 5:05PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Here 4 Beer

43. The entire Hilton family makes me sick. Rick fools who dont have a decent bone in their whole body. They are all about how to screw over the next guy. The worst part is that NONE of them NONE,, will ever have to worry about a friggn dime. EVER

Posted at 5:03PM on Dec 28th 2007 by OMFG

44. The majority of the money, what is given (As they don't accept solicitaions), goes to the Catholic Church. I think that's good cause the Catholic Church has lost millions in lawsuits, and they really need it right now...:)

Posted at 5:06PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Happy to be Me

45. The people posting on this thread are the stupidest people imaginable. You guys don't understand how charitable foundations work nor do you understand the history of Barron Hilton's lawsuit. Seriously...you guys are just retarded.

Posted at 5:12PM on Dec 28th 2007 by jsho12

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