Paris Hilton has made over £2 BILLION on perfume… despite losing her reality crown to Kim Kardashian
The 36-year-old former party girls is now the world's highest-paid female DJ, and racks in millions from product endorsements
SHE was the baby-voiced heiress once cruelly dubbed a “stupid, spoiled whore” by South Park.
But nearly 15 years since she shot to fame, a £2.5 BILLION perfume business and £1 million-a-night DJ career means Paris Hilton is having the last laugh.
Paris was the original ‘IT’ girl – and the 36-year-old socialite, who is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels, was the first person to be famous, well, for being famous.
She ruled the celebrity scene in the early Noughties, thanks to her explosive sex tape scandal, reality show antics with then-best mate Nicole Richie and multiple run-ins with the law.
Fast forward to 2017, and it’s actually Kim Kardashian, her former assistant, who is in the spotlight.
Next month marks 10 years since Keeping Up With The Kardashians first aired on our TV screens.
The show catapulted Kanye West’s wife and her clan to worldwide superstars, netting them high-end fashion campaigns, glossy magazine covers and lucrative endorsements along the way.
But Paris has hardly been kicking back in her family’s five-star hotels – the TV personality has been busy building up her billion-pound brand.
Born in New York but raised in California, Paris first shot into the limelight on the LA party scene alongside her younger sister Nicky.
The pair quickly discovered they could get paid to attend nightclubs, so did so in an array of flesh-flashing, attention-grabbing outfits.
At the height of her fame, Paris could reportedly demand £225,000 for appearances.
As a teen, Paris signed to modelling agency T Management – owned by family friend Donald Trump – and went on to star in Tatler, Vanity Fair and FHM.
In 2003, a sex tape of 18-year-old Paris with her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, 33 - called 1 Night in Paris – was leaked on the internet.
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She says she didn’t consent to the racy video going public nor did she earn any money from it. Rick reportedly made a staggering £7 million.
Weeks after the scandal, the first episode of The Simple Life, the breakout reality show that documented her and Nicole Richie trying out various manual jobs, aired.
At the time, Entertainment Weekly commented: “I dare say that Paris Hilton-Rick Salomon tape received more print and television coverage in a week than the run-up to The Simple Life received in the months since its premiere was announced. We in the media have become Paris-ites.”
While People Magazine said the show "no doubt was helped by the very public saga of a pirated three-year-old video tape, which recently made the rounds on the Internet showing Hilton engaged in various sex acts with ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon".
The show ran for five seasons , regularly pulling in 13 million viewers, during which time Paris almost became a caricature of herself.
She was famed for her Barbie doll-hair, girly pink outfits, exaggerated hip-juting poses and the tiny pooch she carried in her handbag.
The catchphrase “that’s hot” became her signature line, and she registered it as a trademark for products such as clothes, electronics and booze.
But the partying soon took its toll.
Paris was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in 2006.
She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 days in jail after later breaking her probation terms.
Her lawyer secured her a reassignment to monitored house arrest for 40 days due to an undisclosed medical condition.
In July 2010, Paris was questioned about alleged cannabis smoking while attending the World Cup in South Africa, but was free to go after a friend said she was the one carrying the drug.
In September that year, she was arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession in Las Vegas, sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
But, since then, Paris has turned over a clean slate.
She’s been a quieter fixture on the social scene, leaving her wild days behind her to forge a billion-pound empire.
"I want people to know that I'm grown-up," she told earlier this year.
"I'm a responsible businesswoman. I work very hard. I'm down-to- earth. Nothing has been handed to me."
She’s ditched the baby voice and says she “wants to punch herself” when she hears it.
Paris has created a staggering 25 fragrances (four are for men), selling 50 million bottles worldwide and bringing in £2.5 billion globally.
She earns £7.5 million a year from her 18 product lines, which include clothing, watches, handbags, and accessories for pets and kids.
Following in her family’s footsteps, Paris also own three ‘Paris Hilton’ apartment complexes, and is soon set to open her second hotel in the Philippines.
The entrepreneur is also the highest-paid female DJ in the world – scoring a million pounds a night for a gig.
"Because I'm Paris Hilton, people assume, 'Oh, she's just this rich girl,'" she .
"They don't understand that I've actually been going to raves since I was 15 years old.
"I love music. I love entertaining people. I love partying. I love having a good time and having people around me have a great time.
"So I feel like DJing is kind of perfect for what I do."
She added: "During the day, I'm a businesswoman. I travel around the world. I work with different products and brands.
"Then at night, I get to DJ for all my fans and have an incredible time. And that's what it's about.
"DJing is about entertaining, having fun with the crowd, and making people have the time of their lives."
Asked if she misses party girl Paris, she said: "No, I am so happy now. When you are young and growing up you find out who you are when you live life.
"I want to be a good influence on other girls to inspire them to be businesswomen and show, like, girl power."