Kathleen Elizabeth Hilton, more popularly known as Kathy Hilton, is an American socialite, fashion designer, reality television personality, and actress.
Kathy Hilton is probably best known for being the mother of socialite Paris Hilton and renowned fashion designer Nicky Hilton. She’s also the half-sister of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ co-stars Kim and Kyle Richards.
Kathy Hilton Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Kathleen Elizabeth Hilton |
| Popular Name: | Kathy Hilton |
| Nicknames: | N/A |
| Birth Date: | March 13, 1959 |
| Age: | 64 years |
| Parents: | Larry Avanzino and Kathleen Mary Dugan |
| Siblings: | 7 half-siblings, including actresses Kim Richards and Kyle Richards |
| Birth Place: | Hartlepool, CounNew York City, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | Mixed (Italian and Irish) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Education: | Montclair College Preparatory School |
| Marital Status: | Married to Richard Hilton (since 1979) |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Children: | Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Barron Nicholas Hilton II, and Conrad Hughes Hilton II |
| Net Worth: | USD 350 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Fashion Design, Reality Television Appearance, Acting, and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 7″ (1.70 m) |
| Weight: | In kilograms: 59 kg; In pounds: 130 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Kathleen Elizabeth Hilton (born Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino) was born on March 13, 1959, in New York City, New York, United States, to Larry Avanzino and Kathleen Mary Dugan.
Kathy Hilton’s parents divorced and her mother subsequently married Kenneth E. Richards. Through her mother’s second marriage, Hilton has two maternal half-sisters, actresses Kim and Kyle Richards. She also has five additional half-siblings from her father’s remarriages.
Hilton attended Los Angeles’ Montclair College Preparatory School, where she met and befriended the late pop singer Michael Jackson. The two remained great friends until Jackson’s death in 2009.
Acting and Television Career
Kathy Hilton began her professional career as a child actress in 1968. She appeared in multiple television shows as a child actress before retiring in 1979. Notable ones include Nanny and the Professor (1970), Family Affair (1971), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1971), Bewitched (1971), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1974), Happy Days (1977), and The Rockford Files (1978). She also appeared in a couple of television films around the same period. Examples include Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol (1972), No Deposit, No Return (1976), The Car (1977), The Dark (1979), and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight (1979).
In 1992, Kathy Hilton was featured in the film Wishman. Hilton did not appear in any movie or television show over the next decade. She returned to television in 2003 as a reality star in the series ‘The Simple Life,’ appearing as herself in 6 episodes of the series until 2007.
In 2005, Hilton hosted the NBC show ‘I Want to Be a Hilton.’ She was also a judge on the television special ‘The Miss Teen USA Pageant.’
Kathy Hilton’s next major television role was in a 2008 episode of ‘The Young and the Restless.’ The following year, she featured in an episode of ‘Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend.’
Hilton subsequently appeared in 4 episodes of ‘The World According to Paris’ in 2011. The same year, she joined the cast of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.’ She appeared in the series as a guest from 2011 to 2020 and has featured as a friend of the housewives since season 11. Collectively, Hilton has appeared in 55 episodes of the reality show.
Kathy Hilton starred in 9 episodes of ‘Life with La Toya’ from 2013 to 2014. In 2020, she appeared in the documentary film ‘This Is Paris.’
Hilton’s most recent reality television projects include appearances as a guest in Cooking with Paris (2021) and as the main cast in Paris in Love (2021 – 2022).
Fashion Design and Socialite Career
Kathy Hilton first became involved in the fashion industry in the mid-‘80s. She established a gift and antique store in Los Angeles’ Sunset Plaza, called The Staircase.
Hilton debuted with merchandise sales on the WVC home shopping network in 2002. In 2007, she launched her own skincare line on HSN. She subsequently followed with a perfume line called “My Secret” the following year.
More recently, Kathy Hilton is known for designing the Kathy Hilton Collection of party dresses. The dresses are available in over 400 stores worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Kathy Hilton’s Net Worth
Kathy Hilton has a net worth of $350 million, as at November 1, 2022. That’s the combined net worth with her husband Richard Hilton.
Hilton made her millions from her illustrious career as an actress, reality television star, fashion designer, and socialite. Her portfolio also includes multiple real estate investments undertaken over many years.
In 1999, Kathy and her husband Richard purchased a 7-bedroom, 3-acre property in the Hamptons for $3.385 million. The couple went on to rent the mansion for as much as $400,000 during the summer seasons. Kathy and Richard are also associated with a humongous mansion in Bel-Air. They purchased the property in 2004 for $9.2 million. In 2014, Hilton made yet another significant real estate investment. She purchased an apartment located in New York City’s Pierre Hotel for $2.5 million.
For comparison, Kathy Hilton is $50 million richer than her daughter Paris. But considering Paris’ age and current investments, she’ll likely double her net worth by the time she’s her mother’s current age.
Lessons from Kathy Hilton
1. Work for your wealth
The Hiltons are not poor by any standard of measure. But that hasn’t stopped Kathy from continuing to work for her millions.
2. Have a finger in every pie
It’s difficult to achieve meaningful financial success by pursuing one income stream. It appears Hilton understands this vital success lesson, which is why she has continually engaged in multiple income-generating activities over the years.
3. You’re only as old as you look
Kathy Hilton may be in her sixties. But she certainly doesn’t look her age. She attributes her youthful appearance to healthy lifestyle choices and her glamorous sense of fashion.
Famous Quotes by Kathy Hilton
• Fear, to me, is the most powerful feeling there is – fear.
• I think it’s very hard to be with somebody that’s in the limelight when you’re really not into that.
• Life is a poker game, and everybody has to show their cards.
• My mother is my greatest inspiration. She was an amazing mother and was very glamorous. My other inspirations include Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.
• The term ‘socialite’ makes me feel pretty uncomfortable. To me, those are the women who get dressed up and go from party to party. That’s all they do.
Summary
Kathy Hilton is one of the world’s richest reality television stars. However, her $350 million net worth also comes from other ventures like acting and fashion design.
