Paris Hilton - Life on the edge

Paris Whitney Hilton - an heiress to the fortune of the Hilton Hotels, she also has the real estate empire of father Richard Hilton to fall back on. But while most It girls are content to be seen on their home turf, Paris has achieved worldwide recognition and a further fortune in her own right. The reality TV series The Simple Life first propelled the young Paris to national attention in the states. Together with her friend Nicole Richie, she did what she had never done before - work, and on a farm at that - and the results captivated the audience. Suddenly Paris was seen as much more than another rich girl and found herself wth a huge fan base. A different kind of audience latched onto the unauthorised release of an intimate home video Paris filmed with her then boyfriend Rick Salomon in 2003. But Paris bounced back with a further series of The Simple Life, the success launch of her own perfume, nightclubs and jewellery and a foray into the world of pop with an album that made the US Top 10 and even her own record label. Romantically linked with a string of international stars of music, sport and movies, her personal life has been the subject of much scrutiny. But she continues to work hard despite all the pressure, being in demand as much as a model used by top agencies all over the world. She is regularly asked to endorse products and shows no sign of slowing down. Is Paris Hilton really the girl who has everything?

Chas Newkey-Burden is the author of a number of books including The Reduced History of Britain. He also contributed to both Crap Towns books. A prolific journalist, he has written for numerous publications including Time Out, The Big Issue, Four Four Two and the Mail on Sunday.