Heirs Apparent to
Famous Family Empires

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  Meet the Next in Line ...

  
  If you grew up in a household where the family business was in the ranks of companies like Versace, IKEA or Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, you might be tempted to coast through life on a cushy trust fund without a care in the world. These heirs, however, decided to jump into their family-owned enterprises with both feet.
  
  BloggingStocks profiles the children of 18 business moguls and reveals who's involved in the family biz now and who could one day take over the empire.
  
  Click through our gallery to see who's on track to fill daddy's (or mommy's) big shoes.
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 1

• Delphine Arnault

  Thos Robinson, Getty Images

  Delphine Arnault

  Company:
  LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
  Daughter of:
  Bernard Arnault, chairman
  
  Of Note:
  She was just 28 when her father had her installed on the board of LVMH, a company with assets of $47 billion! She was the youngest board member and the only woman. Having joined the company in 2000, she came to head Dior's shoe and bag division. Colleagues say she can seem shy, but that she's a careful observer and she appears to have inherited her father's determination. That may be why she's been called the "wolf in the cashmere coat." More on Delphine Arnault
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 2

• Allegra Versace

  Frazer Harrison

  Allegra Versace

  Company:
  The Versace Group
  Daughter of:
  Donatella Versace
  
  Of Note:
  Allegra Versace was eleven years old when her uncle Gianni was murdered at his Florida villa. The fashion industry icon and founder of the Versace empire left half of his fortune to Allegra. On her 18th birthday, she came into her inheritance, worth $700 million and including real estate holdings worldwide. The Versace Group has made it clear that Donatella and Allegra would bring a new face to the Versace label. More on Allegra Versace
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 3

• David Lauren

  Stuart Ramson, AP

  David Lauren

  Company:
  Polo Ralph Lauren
  Son of:
  Ralph Lauren
  
  Of Note:
  As the only Lauren sibling to work for Polo Ralph Lauren -- as the SVP of Advertising, Marketing, and Corporate Communications -- he has been called the "heir apparent" to his father by more than one fashionable pundit. But for all his patrician good looks and endless charms, Ralph is rather unyielding in his patriarchy and certainly has not made David's path to the CEO spot a hop, skip and a jump.
  · More on David Lauren
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 4

• Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer

  Scott Wintrow, Getty Images

  Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer

  Company:
  Estee Lauder
  Granddaughter of:
  Estee Lauder
  
  Of Note:
  Aerin is not only the public face of the company but also the considerable creative brain of its marketing soul. As head of Global Advertising for Estee Lauder, she has demonstrated a knack for creating a unified brand image, as well as controlling the details and delivering the corp-speak when required. Her public sound bites always come off perfectly, much like her society photographs, always with perfect skin and a glowing smile.
  · More on Aerin Lauder
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 5

• Alannah Weston

  Dave Hogan, Getty Images

  Galen G. and Alannah Weston

  Company:
  George Weston Ltd.
  Children of:
  W. Galen Weston
  
  Of Note:
  Grocery stores, department stores, brands such as Entenmann's, Boboli, and Ovaltine -- this family has its fingers in a lot of pots. Son Galen G. was installed as executive chairman of Loblaw Companies in 2006. Sister Alannah (pictured) is Creative Director for the well-known U.K. Renfrow department stores.
  · More on the Weston Siblings
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 6

• James Murdoch

  Osamu Honda, AP

  James Murdoch

  Company:
  News Corp.
  Son of:
  Rupert Murdoch
  
  Of Note:
  Rupert Murdoch's many detractors screamed "nepotism" when the old man named his fourth child to run the News Corp's British Sky Broadcasting business. Eventually, though, James Murdoch won them over by doing a bang-up job. Last year, Rupert Murdoch promoted his son to the job of chief executive for Asia and Europe, suggesting as the AP noted, that he is being groomed for the top job.
  · More on James Murdoch
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 7

• Team Penske

  AP

  The Penske Offspring

  Company:
  Penske Automotive Group
  Children of:
  Roger Penske
  
  Of Note:
  With four sons and one daughter, Roger has no shortage of Penske offspring who might be considered for stepping into the racing patriarch's formidable shoes. However there is some speculation that Roger, Jr.'s recent career adjustments may have been made to facilitate his being groomed to step into his dad's position.
  · More on the Penske Team
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 8

• Shari Redstone

  Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP

  Shari Redstone

  Company:
  Viacom, Inc.
  Daughter of:
  Sumner Redstone
  
  Of Note:
  In no family-led company is the heir more apparent -- and, ironically, so far from being handed the reins -- as in Viacom, Inc. At the age of 84, Sumner is only that much more isolated and authoritative than he was at 83; since then, he's reportedly forced his daughter, Shari Redstone, off Viacom's board.
  · More on Shari Redstone
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 9

• Aditya Mittal

  John Thys, Getty Images

  Aditya Mittal

  Company:
  Arcelor Mittal Steel
  Son of:
  Laksmi Mittal
  
  Of Note:
  The term "apparent" may be a bit misleading in this case, since London resident Aditya, at 31, is already more of a partner to his father Lakshmi Mittal. As CFO, the Wharton-trained Aditya was the guiding force behind Mittal's most audacious move, the purchase of European steel giant Acelor for $38 billion, and has continued to push for the promised production increases and operational savings that justified the deal. The two make a formidable team.
  · More on Aditya Mittal
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 10

• Jeffrey Jordan

  A.J. Mast, AP

  Jeffrey Jordan

  Business:
  Basketball
  Son of:
  Michael Jordan
  
  Of Note:
  Jeff Jordan's stats as a freshman at the University of Illinois -- he's averaging five minutes and under one point per game this season for one of the worst Illinois squads in memory -- are not impressive. But remember his father was famously cut from his high school team as a sophomore before leading the University of North Carolina to the NCAA title his freshman year. And if he can't fill his dad's big basketball shoes, perhaps his younger brother Marcus can.
  · More on Jeffrey Jordan
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 11

• IKEA

  Michel Porro, Getty Images

  The Three IKEA Sons

  Company:
  IKEA
  Sons of:
  Ingvar Kamprad
  
  Of Note:
  At the start of this decade, Kamprad declared that whichever son was most successful in running his respective part of Habitat (a furniture chain IKEA absorbed in 1992) would inherit the business and the fortune. Now, the trio of offspring all work for IKEA and rotate in three-year terms as head of Ingka's executive board. Still, Kamprad says he hopes "none of [his] sons goes on to be the boss," due to the tireless hard work involved. More on Kamprad's Sons
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 12

• Abigail Johnson

  Fidelity Investments, AP

  Abigail Johnson

  Company:
  Fidelity Investments
  Daughter of:
  CEO 'Ned' Johnson
  
  Of Note:
  This is no case of a young ingenue suddenly getting catapulted into the top spot. Sure, Abby no doubt climbed the ranks faster than she otherwise would have. She ran her first fund in 1993 and took over the mutual fund division in 2001. Since 2005, she's been running Fidelity's employee benefits group. She also got the title of Vice Chairman. Meantime, Dear Dad Ned seems to be taking his time giving up the roost.
  · More on Abigail Johnson
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 13

• Ivanka Trump

  Dan Steinberg, AP

  Ivanka Trump

  Business:
  Real Estate & Entertainment
  Daughter of:
  Donald Trump
  
  Of Note:
  Ivanka is the vice president of real estate development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, which is a holding company for many of Trump's businesses. Her siblings Donald, Jr., and Eric are also currently executive vice presidents. But she stands out as the one likely to claim the top job given her love of the limelight.
  · More on Ivanka Trump
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 14

• Sam Branson

  Chris Jackson, Getty Images

  Sam Branson

  Company:
  Virgin Atlantic
  Son of:
  Richard Branson
  
  Of Note:
  Right now, the 22-year-old is occasionally spotted hob-nobbing with celebutantes such as Paris Hilton. Sam also has a modest modeling career, launched after dropping out of college. But he isn't just a pretty face. He recently documented a month-long expedition to the Arctic in order to find and face facts about global warming. His resulting journal, Arctic Diary, will be published this September by Virgin Books (who else?). Richard is eager for his son to join the Virgin empire.
  · More on Sam Branson
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 15

• John Elkann

  Italian Press Office, AP

  John Elkann

  Company:
  Fiat
  Grandson of:
  Gianni Agnelli
  
  Of Note:
  Gianni's grandson John Elkann became the next heir apparent at the age of 22, when he was appointed to Fiat's board. After Gianni passed away in 2004, Elkann assumed the vice chair of not only the Fiat board, but the board of the holding company that controls the Agnelli family stake in Fiat. For the time being, Fiat chairman Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Sergio Marchionne remain in charge. In the coming years, however, Elkann is expected to become the singular face of Fiat. More on John Elkann
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 16

• Colin Hanks

  Mark Mainz, Getty Images for CineVegas

  Colin Hanks

  Business:
  Acting
  Son of:
  Tom Hanks
  
  Of Note:
  Born of Tom's first marriage to Samantha Lewes (she unfortunately passed away in 2002), Colin Hanks may not be as famous as his dad, but he is an actor in his own right, and has done a lot of television work -- he's worked on 'Numb3rs,' 'The O.C.,' and he's been on many episodes of the sci-fi show 'Roswell.' And he's not doing too shabby in the movie business. Colin may just be one breakthrough away from living up to his father's legacy.
  · More on Colin Hanks
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 17

• Bindi Irwin

  Richard Drew, AP

  Bindi Irwin

  Company:
  Wildlife Conservation/Entertainment
  Daughter of:
  Steve Irwin
  
  Of Note:
  Blessed with her father's innate connection to wildlife and a quick, cute wit that is her own, Bindi Irwin has forged ahead in her father's absence to carry the messages of nature conservation, and has been recently nominated for the Most Popular New Talent (Female) award in Australia.
  · More on Bindi Irwin
  
  
  Next: Meet Heir Apparent No. 18

• Heineken

  AP

  Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken

  Company:
  Heineken
  Daughter of:
  Alfred 'Freddie' Heineken
  
  Of Note:
  On Freddie's death in 2003, his only child, Charlene, became the wealthiest woman in the Netherlands, now worth more than $7 billion. She lives in London and continues to hold the controlling stake in Heineken, though she isn't as involved in the company day-to-day as her father was. She said she intends to keep the business together until her eldest son is old enough to take on the mantle.
  · More on Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken
  
  Next: Billionaire Bachelors

• David Ross

  Marina Imperi, The Daily Telegraph

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• Dylan Lauren

  Jamie McCarthy, WireImage.com

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