Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American businessperson, potential future heiress, actress, producer, singer and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton (founder of Hilton Hotels). After signing with Donald Trump‘s T Management, looking for a modeling career, Hilton began to develop a reputation as a socialite and to be identified as “New York’s leading It Girl”, whose persona started to be a constant fixture beyond the New York tabloids. She found a wider fame for her controversial participation in a sex tape, which was released in November 2003, shortly before the premiere of the television reality series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood best friend Nicole Richie. The show was a massive hit for the FOX network, premiering with 13 million viewers, and brought Hilton and co-star Richie to an international recognition.