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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76.

1. I read post on here ,someone calling people names , believe me
there's many smart and intelligent people who post on here ,
You don't know anyone in real life so you can call them names.

I don't feel sorry for NONE of Hiltons , or any celeb . I'm not going
to donate or buying anything they're selling to make them richer.
Kathy Hilton caused her kids to be the way they're , she started
them at a young age. Since Kathy isn't a celeb herself , so she
uses her kids / young immature daughters.
Rick Hilton is a puppet to Kathy , he jumps when she says jump
and how high . KATHY HILTON WEARS THE PANTS IN THAT
FAMILY............

Paris Hilton will use anyone , company as long as she can make
a profit ....."SHE'S A USER ". SHE LIED TO LARRY KING AND
THE WORLD , SHE SAID SHE WOULD NEVER PARTY , DO THE
RIGHT THING , AND SHE HASN'T DONE THAT ...SHE'S A LIER .

As far as BRAD PITT ....HE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING , THE WORLD
HASN'T DONE .....NORMAL PEOPLE WHO SPENT THERE VACATION
TIME AND MONEY WENT TO NEW ORLEANS , TO HELP DONATE
THERE MONEY AND TIME TO HELP , OTHER CELEBS DONATE
MONEY TOO , AND WHAT HAPPEN TO REDCROSS , THEY'VE
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.....THAT YOU , ME AND EVERYONE ELSE
HELPED DONATE ...SO DON'T SAY , IT'S ONLY THE CELEBS WHO
HELPED...........NOT TRUE ...........

BRAD IS DOING THIS FOR PUBLICITY AND NOTHING ELSE .
NORMAL CITIZENS OF UNITED STATES SHOULD GET CREDIT
FOR NEW ORLEANS , THEY ALL HELPED .......

#25......GOOD POINT IN WHAT YOU SAID .......IM NOT BUYING
ANYTHING A CELEB IS SELLING .........

#58.........YOU REALLY HAVE A POINT ....EVERYONE SHOULD READ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE PEOPLE "

Posted at 6:31AM on Dec 29th 2007 by I DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR ANY OF THE HILTONS , NONE .....

77.

#75.......clear something .............at first celebs helped with New Orleans

what happen to there money ????? What happen to REAL CITIZENS

like you and me , what happen to our money ????

I know people who took a week of vacation , there own time and money

drove to New Orleans , what happen to that ????

anyways Im just commenting to what someone said on here ........

I realize this is about hilton family , but It pisses me off , when BRAD

acts like he's the only one who's helping , MEDIA , not interviewing

the real people .............Even Companies / businesses donated time and money ....

As far as Redcross , that's not free , they make you pay back ...........

THEY'RE CROOKS TOO ........JUST WISHED YOU COULD OF SEEN

ON LIVE TV ABOUT REDCROSS , WHERE THE SENATORS WAS

QUESTION THE PERSON AHEAD OF IT .........PUT THAT PERSON

ON THE SPOT ............"WHERE DID THE MONEY GO ".

Posted at 6:40AM on Dec 29th 2007 by REGULAR CITIZENS SHOULD GET CREDIT FOR NEW ORLEANS .....

78. I keep feeling both legs to see which one is being pulled....who really cares?

Posted at 8:08AM on Dec 30th 2007 by porter

79. He should have donated the money to The Human Fund.

Posted at 2:47PM on Dec 29th 2007 by George Costanza

80.

Gramps, nor Paris, nor the Hilton Foundation is going to change my life one way or another, so it's a non-issue with me.

He should have bequeathed his son and his progeny some I.Q. points and common sense. They are desperately in need of them.

Posted at 1:44PM on Dec 29th 2007 by OCD

81. It is clear from this comment line that there aren't very many people with any more intelligence than that of Paris or her family. Barron is indeed giving it away and although he actually worked to build up the Hilton hotel chain in order to earn his equity, the rest of the family simply waits to receive theirs. He is a kind man with kind reasons - regardless of what his family might think - or for all the jealous fools who write otherwise on this comment line. Your ignorance shows through your lack of understanding and backwards mentality. I ask one thing: Since when did the American Dream become one of failure and poverty and government handouts? I applaud the immigrants who built and are building America through their hard work and feel shame for those lazy fools who refuse to work and won't.

Posted at 4:53PM on Dec 29th 2007 by trying2banonymous

82. The Hilton's broke Conrad Hilton's will to the tune of $384 million. And, yes, it is a charitable foundation. You can google Conrad Hilton and get the details. All you who hate rich people and think all their money should go to you instead of kin, be sure to vote for any of he super-rich left-wing candidats who give very little of their money to charity. If it was your money, you would not be so generous

Posted at 5:15PM on Dec 29th 2007 by SKM

83. Illegal immigrants do not pay any income taxe or even file taxes in the US.
US citizens and residents of the District of Columbia, Washington D.C. are taxed the highest in the nation and have no representation in Congress or the Senate.

Posted at 12:03AM on Dec 30th 2007 by Grace E.

84. Jerry Oppenheimer who wrote the GREAT book "House of Hilton" had this info last fall, and when it was posted here, TMZ SAID A SOURCE CLOSE TO THE HILTONS SAID IT WAS FALSE. You can look it up in the archives. Looks like TMZ was burned by airhead Paris.

Posted at 3:14AM on Dec 30th 2007 by opi

85. Here's TMZ getting the story WRONG months ago:

http://www.tmz.com/2007/07/30/paris-not-being-locked-out-of-hotel-fortune/

Posted Jul 30th 2007 5:23PM by TMZ Staff


Hotel heiress Paris Hilton doesn't need to worry about family patriarch and precious grandad Barron Hilton cutting her out of his will.

A story published in the UK said the ex-con party princess was in jeopardy of losing her mega-inheritance because sullying the family reputation, saying that grandpa was cutting her out of the will. TMZ has confirmed that's baloney.

After the socialite was sprung from the klink, she spent a few days at grandpa Hilton's family compound in Beverly Hills. It's rumored that Paris stands to inherit somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million.

Posted at 3:42AM on Dec 30th 2007 by opi

86. Paris is an nothing more than a Drunk! I guess Barbrara Walters doen't know what she's talking about after all !

Posted at 11:47AM on Dec 30th 2007 by J.D.

87. for the record Grace E., illegals generally pay taxes under assumed names and social security numbers because the employers withhold. However, they do not file and get any back. So what they pay in withholding is actually gone to the tax pile for citizens. I'm a conservative realist who knows that every hispanic illegal i've ever seen works a lot harder than any american youth for the money because they need it. But, that is another story.......

Posted at 11:22AM on Dec 30th 2007 by trying2banonymous

88. How about leaving the money to Cancer Research, Aids Research, etc, etc, Now here's one for Paris. Why is grandpa
so down on Paris? No, I am not a fan. But, let's go back a bit. Dame Elizabeth Taylor was beaten by a drunk relative of Grandpa
who was Conrad Hilton, Jr. He beat her so bad she lost the baby she was carrying and moved on. So, how could
Paris top that? Advise: Give the money to Elizabeth she will know what to do with it. Look at what she has done for
Aids Research. I say that because she was once a Hilton! A name she would rather forget! Grandpa is full of it!

If he did the right thing. Kudos to him. But, no way is he leaving his family out! He may have closed the door on them
but he left open a window! Bet on it!

Posted at 12:16PM on Dec 30th 2007 by VS

89. Posted at 11:22AM on Dec 30th 2007 by trying2banonymous

No Illegals do not pay INCOME taxes nor do they file taxes in US and using illegally obtained ss#'s causes incredable pain and suffering for those who actually own the ss #'s these criminals use. If an illegal is using another ss# and assumed name then the oblivious employer should have to pay for this crime dearly and will soon enough. No illegals do not work harder than Americans what so ever and your other assumption that illegals are just Hispanic is also extremely offensive and quite prejudicial. The 911 culpriates where illegals too and not Hispanic! Please take note not all illegals are of Hispanic origin. This is just another offensive ploy claiming illegals are just simple hardworking poor Hispanics and ignores the true issue of illegal immirgration and open borders. Unsafe and an extreme tax burden for the American people. Do not dumb down the real issue of illegal immgration. President Bush has not addressed illegal immigration problem and this will be his legacy not the Iraq War.
So the Hilton's (the obscenely rich) do not pay taxes nor do the poor or illegals . Who pays taxes? Hard working American middle class.

Posted at 12:29PM on Dec 30th 2007 by Grace E.

90. A tale of giving: Edward the confessor.

Many legends sprang up about Edward the Confessor, both during his lifetime and after his death. One that has stood the test of time happened near the end of his life.

Legend has it that Edward was riding to a chapel dedicated to St John, when a beggar asked for alms. Edward had no money with him, so he took off his royal ring and handed it to the poor man instead.

A few years later, two English pilgrims were travelling through the Holy Land and became stranded. They were helped by an old man who told them he was St John the Evangelist.

He was carrying the ring Edward had given to the beggar some years before. He asked the pilgrims to return it to the king, telling him that in six months he would meet St John in heaven.


All the best for 2008.

Posted at 6:27AM on Dec 31st 2007 by anon

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