When most people think of an heiress, they probably picture someone like Paris Hilton, the headline-grabbing celebutante who has appeared on the Forbes celebrity list three times since 2004, spent 23 days in jail and still makes headlines for losing her phone
. Or perhaps they think of the tragic story of Casey Johnson, Johnson & Johnson heiress and late daughter of Jets owner Robert Wood Johnson, who struggled with diabetes and was involved in frequent scandals involving accusations of robbery and drug abuse. She died on Jan. 4 at age 30, making front-page news on The New York Post and other tabloids.
. Or perhaps they think of the tragic story of Casey Johnson, Johnson & Johnson heiress and late daughter of Jets owner Robert Wood Johnson, who struggled with diabetes and was involved in frequent scandals involving accusations of robbery and drug abuse. She died on Jan. 4 at age 30, making front-page news on The New York Post and other tabloids.
But beyond the headlines one discovers a breed of heiresses who choose to live a lower-key life, spending much of their time trying to live up to their family's legacy and working to make a difference behind the scenes.Some well-known women made the cut like daughter of Donald Trump, Ivanka, 28, who in March was named spokeswoman for a new U.N. campaign called Girl Up, which is supposed to recruit young women here to support U.N. programs for girls in developing countries. But so too did several very low-key, never profiled, women. All of the heiresses are also involved in some sort of charitable giving, a requisite for this year's list.
For the vast majority of these accomplished women, their fathers or uncles served as inspiration, driving them to work harder, go after something they love to do and achieve their own success.
Must Be The Money
"My dad is very down to earth, and I view him as a creative genius, and I am very proud of that," says daughter of Ralph Lauren, Dylan Lauren, age 36, who herself has merged fashion, art and pop culture into her own high-end candy story, Dylan's Candy Bar, now one of the largest candy stores in the world.
"For me, it's not about the money. The money allows me to be charitable and give back. What I've really learned being his daughter is how to be entrepreneurial and the importance of working hard." While her business drives her, Dylan is indeed an active philanthropist involved in the FEED foundation and the ASPCA. She recently held an event at her store to raise awareness for the ASPCA and encourage people to adopt animals.
For some heiresses, philanthropy is their vocation.
Paving The Way
George Soros' daughter Andrea founded the Trace Foundation in New York after a trip to China where she was a volunteer English teacher. Her father, who is one of the world's most renowned philanthropists, reportedly gave her a small donation initially but has since let her run it and fund it as she wants.
The organisation, which supports Tibetan communities, now has a large team of almost 40 working in China and New York. When speaking about some challenging physical conditions her foundation works under, Andrea sums it up by saying "the rewards of our work outweigh all the difficulties."
Daughter of Mayor Bloomberg, Emma Bloomberg, who has an MBA and master's in public administration from Harvard in the U.S, took a job at Robin Hood Foundation, the high-profile foundation that fights poverty in New York.
Making Things Happen
Talking about her choice of career, Emma, age 31, says: "I worked for the city before business school, and I liked working for the government and helping make things happen. However, when working with one's father, there is a limit to how much ownership one can take, and I wanted to stand on my own two feet."
Emma's devotion is evident as she says "just because something seems like it cannot be done, doesn't mean it's not possible. Through external partnerships, many of the goals of the foundation can be met." Emma wanted to do something that would make her feel like she's making a difference, and philanthropy was her way.
Other heiresses are choosing to make their mark by entering the family business and using their power to contribute to the issues they feel strongly about. Jennifer Woo, daughter of Peter Woo, who heads Wheelock & Co, the holding company of Lane Crawford, a Hong Kong department store chain, modernised the store by having it carry a large selection of international brands and become more customer-centric.
The Negative Connotations
Under Jennifer's leadership, Lane Crawford received The National Retail Federation's International Award in 2008, a prestigious award in the world of retail. When asked about being a daughter of a billionaire, she responded thoughtfully, admitting that she would have shied away from that question several years ago due to the stereotyping and negative connotations.
Nowadays she is more at ease with her position and the obligations it puts on her. Being born into wealth and being given the business comes with great responsibility. "It is my responsibility to maximise the resources that I have been given to help others and give back to the community I live in, says Woo. No surprise then that Woo plays a key role in driving various charitable initiatives each season and has been closely working with UNICEF's Driving Dreams Foundation.
The Only Way Is Up
Are these women simply trying to set good examples or will some eventually rise to the top of their family's billion-dollar businesses? At least one, Roshni Nadar, daughter of Indian billionaire Shiv Nadar, is already on her way.
The 28-year-old graduate of Kellogg School of Management was appointed CEO of the HCL Group, a $5 billion technology company, in April last year; her father remains chairman. Alongside her CEO duties Roshni oversees the education initiatives of the Shiv Nadar Foundation. She has been involved in the VidyaGyan Schools initiative since inception and helped launch their first school in July 2009.
These women to a degree illustrate that being the relative of a billionaire is not just about the money or the lifestyle so commonly associated with it. It's about the high standards, set by their family that they aspire to reach.
As Roshni concludes: "Being the daughter of a billionaire is unimportant; being the daughter of parents who are superlative in their achievements is truly the best part. To live with, learn from and have access to parents who are role models to many is a blessing."
AP Photo/Henny AbramsEmma Bloomberg
Daughter of Michael Bloomberg (Net worth: $18 billion)
While her younger sister Georgina often gets more press for her competitive horseback riding, Emma deserves recognition for her charitable ways. The former city worker is now senior planning officer at the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization aimed at fighting poverty in New York. She works with grantees and helps develop strategic partnerships with such companies as McKinsey. Sits on the boards of Stand for Children and the Young Lions of the New York Public Library. Has a joint degree in public administration and business administration from Harvard Business School.
Andrea Soros
Daughter of George Soros (Net worth: $14 billion)
Founder and president of Trace Foundation, established in 1993 to promote the cultural continuity and sustainable development of Tibetan communities within China. The foundation implements projects in the fields of education, culture and rural development. Over the lifetime of the organization it has made a total investment, through external grants and directly implemented projects, of more than $60 million to Tibetan communities. In New York, the foundation has also opened the Latse contemporary Tibetan cultural library. Has a B.A. from University of Chicago
Silvana and Roberta Armani
Niece of Giorgio Armani (Net worth: $5.3 billion)
Sisters Roberta and Silvana both play crucial roles at Armani. Roberta, Director of VIP and public relations, represents the business to their key clients around the world. Clothed in Armani, she is regularly spotted with A-list celebrities including the likes of David and Victoria Beckham and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. She reportedly hosted a benefit in New York for Sunflower Children, an organization that provides survival and development care for children around the world. Since 1981 Silvana has headed up the Emporio Armani women’s line. Both are involved with the Product Red initiative, which raises money for AIDS awareness.
Daughter of Adi Godrej (Adi Godrej and family net worth: $5.2 billion)
She started at the Godrej group a decade ago as a management trainee at Godrej Sara Lee. Was recently appointed President of Human Capital and Innovation at the Godrej group. In this role, she will be in charge of managing more than 20,000 employees. Is very involved in the cause of educating girls and has collaborated with the Dasra organization. Is also a member of the Indian Philanthropy Forum (an exclusive club of India’s leading philanthropists). Received her undergraduate degree from Wharton and has an MBA from Harvard.
Dylan Lauren
Daughter of Ralph Lauren (Net worth: $4.6 billion)
Founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar, a high-end Candy emporium that opened in 2001. She now has five stores in the U.S. and is also now selling her candy at such iconic locations as Neiman Marcus and Yankee Stadium. Flagship Manhattan store holds 5,000 kinds of candy as well as non-edibles such as clothes and beauty products. Publishing her first coffee table book, “Dylan’s Candy Bar: Unwrap Your Sweet Life” in October. Actively involved with the ASPCA and Feed Foundation. Holds a bachelor’s degree in art from Duke University.
Jennifer Woo
Daughter of Peter Woo (Peter Woo and family net worth: $4.3 billion)
President of Lane Crawford, Hong Kong’s iconic department store, has successfully repositioned the business from a traditional department store to a dynamic specialty store with one of the city’s largest selection of international designer fashion brands. In 2007 she launched the first ever Lane Crawford in Beijing, China, to rave reviews. Is involved in various charitable initiatives. The celebration of the company’s 160th anniversary is featuring a charity auction, proceeds of which will be donated to UNICEF’s Driving Dreams Foundation. Holds a degree in psychology from Wellesley College.
Roshni Nadar
Daughter of Shiv Nadar (Net worth: $4.2 billion)
As executive director and CEO of the HCL Corporation since April 2009, Roshni is responsible for strategic decision making and brand building. She is also a Trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation and has been involved in rolling out the VidyaGyan schools in Uttar Pradesh aiming to provide rural children with free education. Pursued her undergraduate studies at Northwestern University, Illinois, majoring in radio, television and film; got MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
Holly Branson
Daughter of Richard Branson (Net worth: $4 billion)
Gave up medicine in 2008 to join her father’s empire and has since been working in its various groups, including Virgin’s health, fitness and airline businesses. She ran the London Marathon this year, as part of Team Caterpillar, a 30-person group of runners joined together by bungee cord. The team reportedly raised nearly $208,000 for charity and broke the world record for greatest number of people to complete a marathon while joined together. She is also involved with Change for Children, Virgin Atlantic’s on-board Charity program.
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