Many people might say that Paris Hilton was one of the very first celebrities to become famous for being famous, but looking back now, it's easy to see that Paris knew exactly what she was doing back in the early 2000s. She was building a name for herself, a reputation that would become the basis of her business empire.

Although she was born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth, Paris Hilton's father encouraged her to be more than a socialite and steered her towards the world of business. Today she's known as an actress, author, DJ, professional party guest, model, singer, fashion designer, and most importantly - businesswoman. She's at the head of her own empire thanks to her hard work and vision.

Let's take a look at the early life of one of the world's most popular heiresses, and what her life was like growing up in her famous family.

20 She Learnt At A Young Age To Pose For The Camera

As one of the Hilton children, Paris learned how to handle the spotlight from a young age. She was accustomed to mixing with high society and that meant getting her picture taken on a regular basis. Luckily Paris is a natural when it comes to her poses - something she perfected in childhood!

19 She Had To Learn To Travel Like A Pro

During her childhood, Paris lived with her parents in a succession of luxury hotel suites, constantly moving with them from one place to another. This taught Paris how to travel like a pro! Today she continues to be a jetsetter, often traveling up to 200 days a year for work.

18 She Was A Child Model For Exclusive Charity Events

Paris started her modeling career at a young age, but she wasn't appearing in talent shows. Thanks to her famous parents, Paris was often chosen as a child model for glittering charity events. This helped Paris hone her skills, and by the time she was 19, she was ready to sign with her first modeling agency.

17 She Only Had To Attend School Until She Was 16

Just like any other teenager, Paris was required to attend school, and she didn't have her own private tutors as you might imagine. But her academic career didn't go that well, and Paris ended up attending several different schools until she finally left at the age of 16. She later went on to complete her GED certificate.

16 Paris Had To Learn To Accept Her Big Feet

We all have something we don't like about our bodies, and for Paris Hilton, it's her enormous size 11 feet. "Yeah, it sucks, because I see all these super cute shoes in the stores: Guccis, YSLs, Manolos. And when they bring them out in my size, they look like clown shoes," she said.

15 She Had To Learn How To Stand Out

From the time she was born, Paris got to mix with the upper echelons of society. Millionaires, socialites, and celebrities were amongst her parents' friends (Michael Jackson was a close family friend) and this taught Paris the importance of standing out in a crowd. In a world full of famous faces, Paris learned how to brand herself to stand out.

14 She Had To Take Her Medication Everyday

During a 2007 interview with Larry King, Paris revealed that she was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) as a child. “I’ve been on medication since I was a child,” she explained. “I have ADD, so I take medication for that.” Many fans praised her for going public with her problem.

13 Clubbing Was Okay With Her Parents

As social butterflies themselves, Paris' parents had no problem with their daughter hitting the clubs - even when she was a teen. It paid off big time for her in the end when club owners eventually started paying her to make an appearance at their club. Now that's hot, right?

12 Paris Learnt The Value Of Playing A Character

Paris learned the value of playing up her perceived ditzy persona at a young age and this helped her when she needed to play a character on The Simple Life. "I think if I was my serious self on the show it wouldn't have been such a huge success," she said.

11 She Had To Participate In School Sports

Although she attended various schools throughout her academic career, Paris' parents always insisted that she participate in sports and activities. In high school, she played hockey and was on the cheerleading team. She also took part in school plays, often playing the lead role. Today she likes to keep fit by playing golf.

10 Paris Had To Learn Elite Social Skills

There is no denying that Paris was raised in a world where luxury and opulence were the norm. At a very young age, Paris was meeting famous people from all over the world - from powerful political figures to movie stars - so it was up to her parents to make sure she had the social skills needed to mix with high society.

9 She Had To Move Often

Paris and her family moved frequently throughout her childhood, living in a suite in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, as well as homes in Beverly Hills and the Hamptons. They would also go on several international holidays every year so Paris got to be a pro at moving from place to place.

8 She Had To Learn All About Business

Paris clearly has a head for business and that's thanks to her dad, Rick Hilton. He encouraged her to pursue business from an early age and gave her all the tools she needed to succeed. By the age of 18, she was already a budding entrepreneur and today she's at the head of her own empire.

7 She Had To Make Do With A Small Inheritance

In 2007, Paris' grandfather, Barron Hilton, whose father founded the Hilton chain of hotels, announced that he planned to leave 97% of his $2.3 billion fortune to charity. With the remaining money split between his 8 children and 23 grandchildren, it meant Paris would have only received about a $5 million inheritance.

6 Paris Had To Learn How To Live With Her Family Name

Being born into a rich and influential family is all good and well, but like everything else, even wealth and fame come with their own set of problems. Paris had to learn how to deal with the ugly side of fame at an early age, as she's been stalked and had her homes burgled several times.

5 She Was Inspired By Her Great Aunt Elizabeth Taylor

Nicholas Conrad Hilton Jr. was Paris' great-uncle and the first of Elizabeth Taylor's numerous husbands. As a young girl, Paris was inspired by Elizabeth, which she says prompted her to create her own fragrances. "'Elizabeth was such a glamorous and stylish woman,' she gushed. 'From a young age I looked up to her and what she accomplished.'"

4 She Learnt How To Make The Right Friends

Thanks to her parents' connections, Paris started mixing with other future celebrities at an early age. Kim Kardashian and Nicole Richie were among her closest childhood friends as well as Bijou Phillips and Ivanka Trump. She also attended the NY Professional Children’s School for a short time along with Christina Ricci and Macaulay Culkin.

3 Paris Learnt How To Diversify

Paris might seem ditzy, but when it comes to business she certainly knows her stuff. She's earned her fortune appearing in movies and TV shows, being a professional party guest and DJ, and selling a ton of different products including handbags and perfumes. If anyone knows how to diversify, it's Paris!

2 She Had To Make Her Mark On The World Without Social Media

Paris first started to become a recognizable public figure in the early 2000s, when most people knew her as a model and a socialite. And she achieved her notoriety without the aid of social media because there was no such thing at the time. Paris made a name for herself the old fashioned way!

1 Paris Learnt The Value Of Family At A Young Age

Being born into an influential family made Paris realize from a young age just how important family can be, especially when it comes to the world of business. Although she is one of four children, Paris is closest to her sister Nicky, who she helped to launch her own clothing line.