Life doesn’t always go as planned. Liz Smith, the director of nursing at Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts, is proof that sometimes, that’s absolutely for the best. As she approached age 40, she was beginning to lose hope of ever starting the family she had always dreamed of. Then one day, she bumped into baby Gisele, and everything changed.

The nurse told her that the 8-month old baby had been born prematurely with neonatal abstinence syndrome as a result of her birth mother using drugs during her pregnancy. She had weighed under two pounds. She was taken into state custody when she was 3 months old, and had been receiving treatment in the hospital for five months without one visitor coming to see her. She was destined to end up in the foster care system until Liz stepped in.

“Since the moment I met her, there was something behind her striking blue eyes capturing my attention,” says Liz. “I felt that I needed to love this child and keep her safe.”

Liz started visiting Gisele every day after work and soon developed a strong connection with the tiny infant. Soon, she applied to become her foster mom. “She was behind developmentally, and I wanted to get her out of the hospital and get her thriving,” she explains.

Initially, Gisele’s birth parents came for supervised weekly visits, but ultimately their parental rights were terminated after they were deemed incapable of caring for Gisele. As no other family members were found who could care for the baby, Liz stepped in and applied to officially adopt her. 

Family members, co-workers, and friends all helped support the pair and pretty soon, Gisele’s development started to catch up with other babies her age. On October 18 of last year, Liz Smith’s dream became official: The adoption was approved, and Liz was presented with legal documents certifying that she was now the girl’s mother.

“This is the mother-daughter relationship my sister has waited a long time for,” says Liz’s brother, Phil. “It’s plain to see that they have brought a completeness to each other.”

Now Gisele is two years old, and while she still has to use a feeding tube occasionally, she’s become a bubbly, active, happy little girl. It’s plain to see that her life has been changed forever thanks to the kindness and love of her adoptive mother.

Around the world there are people who have inherited vast fortunes from their parents or grandparents. These are dozens of people who gained massive wealth just by being born into the family.

Kate Hudson is an award-winning actress and made her debut in the 2000 film “Almost Famous”. In the film she played a love-struck groupie following a band. But, in real life she doesn’t need to do that at all. Among her accolades, Hudson released her own line of workout wear with JustFab called “Fabletics” and recently signed a multi-year deal with New York & Company, Inc. She has also released two lifestyle and weight loss books since 2018.

Anderson Cooper is a descendant of the Vanderbilt families, which was one of the wealthiest families in America. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a railroad and shipping tycoon. Due to this relation, Cooper found himself growing up in the limelight. However, he did not let this affect his personality. Cooper is known to be one of the more humble and personable journalists on air today. He is also the most notable openly gay television personality.

Balthazar Getty’s surname is one of the most recognizable in today’s world. Getty’s inheritance comes from being the great-grandson of J. Paul Getty, who founded Getty Oil. For most of Balthazar’s life he felt as though his namesake may be a burden and people would judge him for that. Getty works as an actor, band member, music producer and is married fashion designer Rosetta Millington.

Douglas Durst is the grandson of the founder of The Durst Organization. The Durst Organization began as a real estate firm in 1915. Both of Durst’s children are active Vice Presidents within the firm. Douglas’ brother Robert Durst was the subject of the docuseries “The Jinx,” which chronicled Robert’s life up to three suspected homicides. During the last episode in 2015, Robert was arrested on a first-degree murder charge.

Dylan Lauren is the daughter of Ralph Lauren who is a fashion mogul. Releasing his first official menswear line in 1992, the name “Polo” has become the most highly sought after and used name in the fashion industry. Dylan has become an entrepreneur herself with the opening of her candy shop “Dylan’s Candy Bar”. She has also made an appearance as a judge on the first season of “Toy Box”.

Susan Rockefeller is an heiress by marriage to the fortune that is Standard Oil. Rockefeller is another iconic American name. John D. Rockefeller revolutionized the oil industry during the early twentieth century. At its height Standard Oil was estimated to be worth $313 billion. Susan Rockefeller works as a philanthropist and conservationist. Susan is a filmmaker who focuses on the ecosystem, destruction of the environment, poverty, racism, and a variety of other social and environmental justice issues.

Michael Bloomberg is a business mogul and investor who resides in New York City. Georgina is the second oldest daughter in the Bloomberg family. As an avid equestrian she grew up competing and riding horses whenever she got the chance. Georgina began riding in 1987 and had won almost any competition that she was entered in. She has now written two lifestyle books, owns the Empire equestrian team in New York, and runs a charity that donates riding gear to those who can’t afford it.

Travis Knight is the son of Phil Knight who founded the Nike brand. He is also the grandson of William Knight who was one of the most prolific publishers of his time. Travis has not followed in the family footsteps of working in the sportswear industry, instead he started as an independent rapper. He constructed a recording studio in the ground floor of his father’s mansion and released one album. Currently Travis is the lead animator at Laika studios.

Eve Jobs is the youngest child of the late Steve Jobs, former CEO and co-founder of Apple, and Laurene Powell. Born in 1998, Eve has already gained a reputation as quite the equestrian, she was even named “rider of the month” in March 2017. She is fortunate to train and complete at a $15 million ranch her mother bought in Wellington, Florida. Jobs is currently attending Stanford Unversity and set to graduate in 2020.

Born Cornelius Crane Chase he has adopted the name “Chevy” Chase and became an American actor and comedian. He graced the stage of “Saturday Night Live” and appeared in blockbuster hits like “Caddyshack” and “National Lampoons: Vacation”. He also had another television appearance on the show “Community” with rapper/actor Donald Glover. Chevy is the child of Cathalene Parker who was adopted by Cornelius Vanderbilt Crane. Crane was the founder of The Crane Company and that’s where the fortune was built.

This is the second Rockefeller to be on the list and might not be the last. The Rockefeller family was such a crucial part of America in the early twentieth century. Ariana Rockefeller is the great granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller. She has used her family’s wealth for good as she sat on the board for the David Rockefeller fund and is an avid supporter of the humane society. Ariana is also an equestrian and began show jumping in 2012.

Seagram’s is one of the most popular liquors in the world and finds itself at nearly every bar, restaurant and retailer. It was Clare’s father, Edgar Bronfman Sr., who founded the liquor company. Clare herself has had a very awarded equestrian career as well. She began competing at the age of twenty. During her time she won the Grand Prix and Samsung Nations Cup. She also found herself under federal investigation for her participation in the NXIVM group. The group promotes “personal success” but Clare pleaded guilty to charges of participating in illicit activity.

Alexander Soros attended NYU and Berkeley where he achieved a PhD in history. He is the Open Society Foundation’s deputy chair, and has been published in “Politico”, and “The Guardian”. Alexander is the son of billionaire philanthropist and business mogul George Soros. Just like his father, Alexander is also a philanthropist. He has contributed to the Jewish Funds for Justice, as well as sitting on the board for Global Witness. Alexander is an environmentalist and works to improve the living and working conditions of those in the Amazon.

Chloe Green is the daughter of Sir Phillip Green, CEO of fashion company TopShop. Chloe has recently been on the global news circuit for her tumultuous relationship with former felon Jeremy Meeks. Just like his father, Alexander is also a philanthropist. He has contributed to the Jewish Funds for Justice, as well as sitting on the board for Global Witness. Alexander is an environmentalist and works to improve the living and working conditions of those in the Amazon.

Jake Gyllenhaal has been struck by good looks, talent and a successful career. All the things someone wishes for before they go to bed. To top it all off, Jake’s father, Stephen Gyllenhaal, was a top Director in Hollywood for many years. So Jake has all those things, plus a nice inheritance coming his way. But Jake has also had a successful career himself. Staring in blockbuster movies like “Zodiac” and more recently Marvel’s second instalment of “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

Amanda Hearst was born into the family of the media mogul who founded the Hearst Corporation. Her father, William Randolph Hearst, was one of the largest men in media during his time and is now worth around $2 billion. Amanda took it upon herself to create her own name as a model. She was formally with IMG models and had been featured in Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar. Amanda is an animal activist through her company Friends of Finn.

In a galaxy far, far away Carrie Fisher once reigned as the queen. Fighting the Sith Lords and First Order for several films of the “Star Wars” saga. During that time she had her daughter, Billie Lourd. Billie studied at NYU but now lives in Beverly Hills, California. She has followed in her mother’s acting footsteps and has appeared in several television series like “Scream Queens” and “American Horror Story”. She even appeared in the most recent Star Wars film, alongside her mother.

Kyra Sedgwick first began her acting career at the age of 16 and has been active since that day. She has been in so many roles that most people know her face and not necessarily her name. She is also married to the famous Kevin Bacon. Kyra’s inheritance comes from her father, Henry Dwight Sedgwick V, who was a very successful venture capitalist. Her most notable role so far in her career is “The Closer” which airs on TNT.

Peter Brant II is the son of business mogul and art-collector, Peter Brant. His mother, Steph Seymour, was also a successful model. Peter attended Bradford college in New York City and currently resides in Greenwich. He and his brothers were named “the princes of New York” by the New York Times for their lifestyles and antics. In recent years, Brant has worked as a model and fashion designer. His brother, Harry, released a unisex makeup line with MAC.

Nearly every American has made the journey to Walmart for bargain bin products. We can all enjoy that luxury thanks to Nancy’s parents and founders of Walmart, Bud and Audrey Walton. Nancy has married former NBA player and coach Bill Laurie and resides in Bel-Air. Laurie’s daughter, Paige, attended the University of Missouri and made a contribution of $25 million towards the construction of a new stadium and wanted it to be named after her daughter.

There are many things that have become synonymous with California: sunshine, beaches, and In-N-Out Burger. Lynsi Snyder is the granddaughter of Harry Snyder, who founded the burger chain in 1948. She was America’s youngest female billionaire until Kylie Jenner took her place. She became the sole beneficiary of the company when she turned 35 and received all of the company’s stocks, superseding her brother-in-law. Lynsi is also a philanthropist and founded Healing Hearts & Nations.

Nicole’s father took the music industry by storm in the 60s with his progressive take on funk and soul. Her father is the front man of The Commodores, Lionel Richie. He is one of the best-selling musicians – achieving over 90 million records sold worldwide. Nicole was legally adopted by Lionel and his wife Brenda Harvey when she was nine years old. Nicole was popular because of her friendship with Paris Hilton and the two appeared on several MTV shows.

The first rule of Fight Club is, don’t talk about Fight Club. When it comes to family, however, best rule is to talk to them. Especially if your grandfather is urban planner, real estate developer, civic activist and philanthropist, James Rouse. Rouse and his company are credited with coining the term “mall” after they built the Harundale Mall in Maryland in 1985. Norton himself is an awarded actor and has appears in films like “Fight Club”, “Birdman”, and “Hulk”.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is most well known for her role as Seinfeld’s costar on the mega hit television show “Seinfeld”. She has also had a run with Saturday Night Live and “Veep”. Her fortune comes from her father Gerard William Louis-Dreyfus, who was a French-born American businessman. Gerard was the chairman of Louis-Dreyfus Energy Services and in 2006 had an estimated net worth of $3.4 billion.

Sam Branson is one of two children who calls Richard Branson dad. Richard Branson is an entrepreneur who is most known for founding Virgin. Through this parent company, Richard has amounted a wealth over $4.9 billion. Richard Branson has become known for his groundbreaking deals and running his empire through a complex series of offshore accounts. Sam and his sister are both active in their father’s business empire.

Dakota Johnson made her mainstream debut in the risqué films “Fifty Shades”. She also finds herself as the daughter of Hollywood actors, Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Dakota grew up on the various film sets her parents found themselves on, so it is no surprise that she herself became an actress. She began acting at the age of ten where she starred alongside her mother in the 1999 film “Crazy in Alabama”.

Hilfiger is a household name known the world over. Tommy Hilfiger first founded a chain of jeans and fashion stores called People’s Place in upstate New York in the 1970s. Later in the 1980s he began to design menswear and took his company public in 1992. Ally has released a book called “Bite Me: How Lyme Disease Stole My Childhood”, which chronicles her young life and dealing with the trauma of having Lyme disease from an early age.

With parents that are a power couple like Jay-Z and Beyoncé there is almost nothing Blue Ivy can’t do. Blue was born in 2012, which makes her the youngest heiress on this list. She has been spotted on tour with her parents a handful of times. Beyoncé is very controlling over keeping the family’s personal life private and only lets out little bits of details at a time. She has appeared on a couple of her parents’ tracks and enjoys dancing with her mother.

North West was born into the family that is Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. North was born one month before the due date, which created health concerns as she was underweight. Since then, she has recovered and earned her own fortune. She has appeared in television shows, commercials and a brief appearance alongside her father in a Paul McCartney music video. Kim and Kanye have released their own line of children’s fashionwear, which North is the lead model for.

When you walk into a candy store you will recognize several of the names on the counter, one of the most notable would be Mars bars. Victoria Mars is the fourth generation of the iconic candy family empire. The family has an estimated net worth of $78 billion. Victoria isn’t just full of sugar; she attended Yale and obtained an MBA from The Wharton School. Mars maintains an eight percent stake in the company and once sat on the board of directors.

Tinsley is the daughter of George Mercer, who made his fortune in real estate development and investing. Her mother is Dale Mercer who was a very successful interior designer. She is also the granddaughter of George Mercer, who founded the Mercer Rug Company in 1936. Tinsley attended Columbia University and later became a TV personality. She also has her own clothing line, “Riccime” which was only sold in the Japanese market. Tinsley also appeared on The Real Housewives of New York City.

Ann is the daughter of Walmart co-founder Bud Walton. She inherited half of her father’s stake in the company when he passed away in 1995. She is the sister of Nancy Walton Laurie who inherited the other half of the stake. Ann not only has her family’s namesake fortune, she is also married to Stan Kroenke, the real estate billionaire.

Brooke is a former child model and actress and has had an active career since the 1960s. At age twelve Brooke took to the silver screen and played a role in “Pretty Baby”. She has appeared in several cult classic films since then as well as Hollywood blockbusters. Shields is the daughter of Francis Alexander Shields, Jr., who was an American businessman and began his career on Wall Street. Later Francis went on to create the Frank Shields Associates real estate firm.

Charles Butt is an heir to the H-E-B Supermarket chain which is widely popular in the southern United States. From what started as a small food store has now expanded to three hundred stores across the south and brings in an annual revenue of $20 billion. Charles is best known for his great managerial practices and has been ranked in the Top 5 CEOs by AdvisoryCloud. He is also a philanthropist and focuses his efforts on disaster relief situations.

Katharine Rayner is one of several children who will inherit the fortune from Cox Enterprises. Cox is a massive conglomerate, which holds companies all around the world. Katharine was born in New York City and used to be married to magazine author Billy Rayner but became a widow when he passed away in 2018. She currently resides in East Hampton, New York and has a sixteen percent stake in the company.

Best known for her various Food Network shows, Giada is also an heiress. Both of her parents were famous Italian actors and producers. Giada has appeared in films like “Waterloo” and released a memoir about her life. She established herself as a professional chef and hosted the show “Everyday Italian”. Giada was very outspoken about not being involved in show business like her parents, but she has made quite the name for herself on television.

The Beatles changed the way people listen, watch, and think about what music is. They took the world stage by storm with their catchy choruses and powerful musicianship. Stella McCartney is the daughter of Paul McCartney. With Paul McCartney leading the charge there was no question they would find major success, and still are one of the best-selling bands of all time. Stella is a powerful activist just like her parents and works on animal rights and environmental efforts.

Whether she is kicking bad guys as Black Widow or being the electronic love interest in Her, Scarlett Johansson is a force to be reckoned with. Since her debut to the silver screen she has appeared in several major films and held leading roles in all of them. Scarlett’s father is Karsten Olaf Johansson, a Danish architect, and her mother, Melanie Sloan, was a film producer. So cutting edge design and films were just a regular part of Scarlett’s childhood.

One of the more recognizable brands in the alcohol industry is Anheuser-Busch. They own and operate Budweiser, Goose Island and Yuengling to name a few. Billy Busch is the mastermind behind this entire company and Haley is his daughter. Haley attended Sacred Heart School where she received acting training. Haley has appeared in “Bratz” and “23 Minutes to Sunrise” and several other hits. She also plays on the Bud Light Polo team and has won many matches with them.

Jane Goldman is an awarded screenplay writer and has co-written films like “Kingsman” and “Kickass”. She originally moved to America as a Boy George groupie when she was just fifteen years old. Since then she has split her life between both the US and UK. In 1988 she married British television host Jon Ross and together they have three children. Jane is the daughter of Sol Goldman who was an illustrious real estate developer.

Lloyd Goldman is the nephew of real estate developer, Sol Goldman. At one point in history Sol was New York City’s biggest landlord. He owned more than six hundred properties that spanned both residential and commercial sectors during that time. Lloyd is a part of BLDG management which was started by Sol. With them in 2018, BLDG and Lloyd constructed a residential skyscraper property in New York City. BLDG reports and annual revenue of $2 billion.

Teresa Heinz Kerry married into the Heinz ketchup family fortune. Currently Teresa chairs for Heinz’s charities and frequently donates to social and environmental charities. She has also received several honorary doctorates from various universities. Teresa founded Second Nature, an organization that works to bring sustainability and environmental consciousness to college campuses. Kerry has also founded The Heinz Awards, an awards program that celebrates contributions to the environment and ecological world.

Lydia Hearst-Shaw is the great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst. During his tenure, William was the leading newspaper publisher and politician. Lydia is also the daughter of Patty Hearst. Her mother was kidnapped in 1974 by the American terrorist group, the Symbionese Liberation Army. This was an attempt to exploit the family’s political influence. Lydia has become a successful model, actress and lifestyle blogger. She has appeared in several high-end fashion advertisements.

Armie Hammer starred as both Winklevoss twins in the blockbuster movie “The Social Network”. He is the grandson of Armand Hammer who was an oil tycoon. He founded the company, Occidental Petroleum, and became one of America’s largest energy corporations. Armie’s grandfather was a controversial figure in his day because he continued to trade with the Soviet Union during the Cold war. He was also heavily involved in the socialist and communist movements.

Carly Simon is a singer who became famous during the 1970s. Her most popular song was called “You’re So Vain”. After her first release Simon went on to win her first Grammy. She also is the first to win an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy for a song that was composed, written, and performed, entirely by a single artist. She is the daughter of Richard L. Simon, who co-founded Simon & Schuster publishing house.

Tori Spelling is the daughter of Candy Spelling and television and film producer, Aaron Spelling. Tori has appeared in her most notable role as Donna Martin on “Beverly Hills, 90210”. This was co-produced by her father too. She released her autobiography in 2009 entitled “sTori Telling” which made it to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. In 2013 Tori had announced that she has become bankrupt due to poor spending habits.

Olivia Wilde is a prominent actress who has had major roles in blockbuster motion pictures like “Tron: Legacy”, and “Rush”. But she also finds herself with an inheritance from her father, Andrew Cockburn. Cockburn is the editor of Harper’s magazine, and when your father being the editor of such a well-known magazine that comes with some nice perks. Wilde was photographed as a child hanging out with Mick Jagger and other famous artists and actors. She is also married to actor Jason Sudeikis.

Versace has become one of the most highly recognized names and logos among the high-end fashion industry. Founded by Gianni Versace in 1978, the Greek Medusa-based logo has become synonymous with the word luxury. Gianni passed away in 1997, and his sister Donatella Versace found herself at the reigns of this multi-million-dollar brand. Her daughter, Allegra Versace, received fifty percent ownership of the brand on her 18th birthday.

Paris Jackson is the second child to the late pop icon, Michael Jackson. When Michael passed away in 2009 his financial interests and future interests were placed in the Michael Jackson family trust, with twenty percent set aside for charity. The remainder was divided amongst his mother and his children. At the time of Michael’s death he was nearly $500 million in debt but it was recovered after the sale of several assets associated to the estate.

Spike Jonze, born Adam Spiegel, is the son of Arthur Spiegel. Spike’s father was the descendent of Spiegel catalog company, which has since been sold. He has moved away from the family name and made one for himself. Spike has become an award-winning filmmaker. He’s created films like “Her”, “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Being John Malkovich”. Spike also works as a photographer and actor. He has produced several critically acclaimed television shows, music videos, and commercials.