20 Celebs Who Were Rich Before They Were Famous

Julia Louis-Dreyfus


When we think of celebrities, many of us think of money and wealth. To top it off, many of these famous people have even been born into acting families, which has helped open doors for them throughout their careers.

Check out our list, which includes names such a Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and plenty of celebrities that will surely surprise you.


According to People Magazine, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' father, "was a billionaire businessman who started his career as a lawyer." However, Julia claims that even though her family had money, she was rarely spoiled.

Adam Levine

Her father has an estimated net worth of estimated net worth of $3.4 billion.


Adam Levine grew up wealthy thanks in part to his father owning a successful retail clothing line.

Benedict Cumberbatch

This wealth allowed young Adam to attend a private school where he met two of his bandmates that would later form Maroon 5.


With a name like Benedict Cumberbatch, it almost seems too obvious that he comes from wealth. When it came to growing up rich, Cumberbatch told reporters, "I was brought up in a world of privilege.

Jake & Maggie Gyllenhaal

It can ostracize you from normal codes of conduct in society."


Not only does this brother and sister duo come from wealth because of their Hollywood-successful parents, but also because they are descendants of the Swedish noble Gyllenhaal family.

Kate & Rooney Mara

But once in the U.S., their father, Stephen, became a famous director, while their mother, Naomi, became a successful screenwriter.


This actress duo has played parts in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, House of Cards, and The Fantastic Four, but the real reason these two have money is due to their family owning, not one, but two football teams.

Taylor Swift

According to the LA Times, their family owns the New York Giants and the Pittsburg Steelers.


According to E! News, Taylor Swift's father, Scott Kingsley Swift, is a financial adviser and the descendant of three generations of bank presidents.

Nicole Richie

This wealth provided Taylor a cushion to pursue her music dreams that most aspiring musicians don't have.


Aside from being married to Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, Nicole Richie is rich from being the daughter of music legend Lionel Richie.

Robin Thicke

However, Nicole is not the biological daughter of Lionel, she was adopted and brought into a wealthy life!


Long before this music star made a name for himself, People Magazine noted that Robin Thicke is the son of Alan Thicke, star of the '80s television hit Growing Pains.

Lana Del Rey

Many people critique Robin for only being able to achieve celebrity status due to his father's status, but other would say his music talent sets him apart.

Brooke Shields


Lana Del Rey is an extremely talented singer, but before she was selling out concerts, Lana Del Rey, born Elizabeth Grant, grew up with her successful real estate broker father, Rob Grant.


Although Brooke shields was born in New York, she has ancestral links with a number of noble families from Italy.

Kyra Sedgwick

Her father was an executive at Revlon Cosmetics, and his parents were a top-ranking tennis player and a princess whose family gained fortune through the administration of Vatican finances.


Kyra Sedgwick has a long list of wealth in her family.

Jordin Sparks

She is the first cousin once-removed of actress Edie Sedgwick and related to William Ellery (signatory of the Declaration of Independence), Endicott Peabody (founder of the Groton School), Ellery Sedgwick (owner & editor of The Atlantic Monthly), as well as several other important and notable people in American history.


This singer became a household name after her run on the tv series American Idol.

Darren Criss

According to Us Weekly, Jordin Sparks comes from a wealthy background because her father was a successful NFL player and her mother is an entrepreneur.


Darren Criss is known for his roles on American Horror Story and Glee. But according to E!

Rashida Jones

News, Darren Criss was born into riches because his father, C. William Criss, was the director of the San Francisco Opera, a top-tier banker, and launched the EastWest Bank.


Rashida Jones is best known for her roles on The Office and Parks And Rec, but her successful roots go beyond that.

Nick Kroll

Jones is the daughter of music mogul, Quincy Jones, and former Twin Peaks actress, Peggy Lipton.


Nick Kroll is best known for his work on the hit-TV series 'The League' and his show on Comedy Central 'The Kroll Show'. But who would have known that he is the son of a billionaire?

Ariana Grande

According to Fortune, Nick Kroll is the son of finance and business titan, Jules Kroll, who sold his company for just over $1 Billion.


Ariana Grande is currently one of the most famous young musicians, but that's not the only way she's been able to experience the wealthy life.

Ed Sheeran

According to Us Weekly, Ariana Grande was born into a prosperous family since her father, "Edward Butera, is the CEO of Ibi Designs Inc., a successful graphic design company based out of Ariana's affluent hometown, Boca Raton, Florida."


Ed Sheeran has become an acoustic sensation over the past few years, but he enjoyed the rich lifestyle throughout his entire life. According to E!

Lady Gaga

News, Ed Sheeran's father is an art curator and his mother is a culture publicist.


Lady Gaga grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and rubbed shoulders with some of New York's most elite.

Her father, Joseph Germanotta, was an internet mogul, and the success of his business also afforded Gaga and her sister the opportunity to attend Convent of the Sacred Heart, one of Brooklyn's most exclusive private Catholic schools.