Paris Hilton — The Original Influencer

Before the Kardashians, there was Paris. Hilton's The Simple Life (2003-2007) invented the famous-for-being-famous playbook. What people don't realize: she built a perfume empire that's sold over $4 billion in retail — 30 fragrances across 45 countries. Her DJ residencies earned $1 million per night in Ibiza. She launched 11:11 Media in 2021 to formalize her media empire. Paris was dismissed as a vapid heiress, but she was actually the architect of the entire influencer economy. Kim Kardashian was literally her assistant.