Fans of artistes and movie stars often delight in the success stories and the grass-to-grace tales of encouragement. But do you know that many celebrities never actually started from the bottom and were rich from the start?
Here is a list of 10 celebrities that were born rich.
1. Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta AKA Lady Gaga grew up in a duplex on New York City’s Upper West Side. Her father Joe Germanotta earned such a comfortable living in the hotel Wi-Fi business that she was also able to attend a prestigious private school.
Still working hard, her parents opened the Italian restaurant Joanne Trattoria on New York City’s Upper West Side in 2012. Worth noting, Lady Gaga does not own the restaurant, according to The New York Times, and her father said the family could’ve afforded to open it even without her success.
2. Bradley Cooper
Next on the list is Gaga’s A Star Is Born co-star Bradley Cooper. His father, Charles Cooper, was a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch, which afforded the movie star a comfortable life growing up. In fact, he attended the prestigious private school Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
3. Davido
The Omo Baba Olowo himself doesn’t hide the fact that he was born into wealth and privilege. The 30 Billion Gang boss is the son of Adedeji Adeleke, a Nigerian billionaire, business magnate, founder and president of Adeleke University. He is also the CEO of Pacific Holdings Limited. Davido attended Babcock University, a private university in Ogun State.
4. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s father, Edward Butera, is the founder and creative head of Ibi Designs, a full-service creative studio in Florida. The firm has some seriously prestigious clients, including Eddie Murphy and FAO Schwartz.
The Point of View singer appears to have inherited her father’s ambition, as five of her albums have been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
5. Ed Sheeran
Despite Ed Sheeran playing the guitar for change on the side of the road, the singer/songwriter was born into a well-off family. Committed to the arts, Sheeran’s father, John, is an art lecturer and his mother, Imogen, has a jewellery company. His father was a museum curator in the 1980s, and in 1990, the couple founded Sheeran Lock, their own independent art consultancy.
For 20 years, Sheeran Lock created prestigious art exhibitions, including the official 50th Birthday Exhibition of The Prince of Wales at Hampton Court Palace and the United Nations Millennium Exhibition in New York, according to Suffolk Magazine.
6. Adekunle Gold
AG Baby is literally a prince, a member of the Kosoko royal family, and the nephew of Nollywood veteran Jide Kosoko, who is also a prince.
7. Jordin Sparks
Before Jordin Sparks was famous, her father, Phillippi, was the star of the family. He played nine seasons in the NFL, including eight with the New York Giants and one with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2007, Jordin became the youngest-ever winner of American Idol. The Battlefield singer’s self-titled album has sold more than 1 million copies, according to the RIAA.
8. Lana Del Rey
She’s known as Lana Del Rey, but the soulful singer’s real name is Lizzie Grant, daughter of millionaire Robert England Grant. Her father founded WebMediaProperties in 1996, a global network of more than 8,000 specialty websites.
Along with his wife, Patricia, he established The Grant Family Foundation, which has gifted more than $1 million to universities, colleges and secondary schools over the past eight years, according to his website.
9. Gigi and Bella Hadid
Success runs deep in the Hadid family. Gigi and Bella’s father, Mohamed, has helmed high-end real estate firm Hadid Development for more than 30 years. The firm’s prestigious portfolio includes several Ritz Carlton Hotels and illustrious private residences. His work has allowed him to amass a net worth of $5 million.
10. Naira Marley
Last on the list of celebrities that were likely born rich is Naira Marley. The Marlian president seems to come from a privileged background as he moved to London as a child. While Azeez Fashola has shared little about his background, he actually graduated with a distinction in business from Peckham Academy. He also studied business law at Crossways College.
