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Paris Hilton
The great-granddaughter of famed hotelier Conrad Hilton and co-heir to the Hilton fortune, socialite Paris Hilton stridently endeavored to make her own mark in the world - and for the most part, succeeded. Alongside her younger sister, Nicky, Paris Hilton became one of the first media-dubbed "celebutantes" - a term used to describe a growing trend of young, attractive party girl socialites-turned-models/actresses and quasi-celebs. Regardless of whether you loved her or hated her, one could not deny the impact Hilton had on media and pop culture. Rightly or wrongly, by making a lucrative career of doing essentially nothing, Hilton - and those who followed in her footsteps, including former best pal Kim Kardashian - helped re-define the word "celebrity" for the new millennium.