Hilton inheritance donated to charity

Paris Hilton's grandfather is to donate 97% of his $2.3 billion (£1.2 billion) fortune to charity.

Barron Hilton, whose father Conrad started the hotel chain in 1919, has recently sold Hilton Hotels Corp as well as the largest casino company in the world, Harrah's Entertainment Inc, which will be finalised early next year.

The sales from both companies will bring Barron's fortune up to around $4.5 billion (£2.25 billion), which will be put in a charitable trust to benefit the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

In a statement the foundation, which helps provide clean water in Africa, education for blind children, and housing for the mentally ill, revealed that Barron wants "to contribute 97% of his entire net worth, estimated today at $2.3 billion, including the created trusts, at whatever value it is at the time of his passing".

It has previously been reported in a book by Jerry Oppenheimer that 80-year-old Barron is embarrassed by the behaviour of his granddaughter Paris and he believes that she has tarnished the Hilton family name.

Barron however has never commented on the remarks made in Oppenheimer's book House of Hilton.

It is believed that when Conrad died in 1979 he left most of his wealth to the foundation, as well as a 27% controlling stake in Hilton Hotels.

But according to the New York Times, Barron challenged the will and reached an out-of-court settlement to split the ownership and shares with the charity a decade later in 1988.