Barron Hilton

William Barron Hilton (born October 23, 1927) was an American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir before he died. The son and successor of hotelier Conrad Hilton, he was the retired chairman, president and chief executive officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation and chairman emeritus of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Hilton was also a founding partner of the American Football League and the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers.

• Reference: Wikipedia

William Barron Hilton I was an American socialite, heir, and hotelier and was co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain, and the original owner of the Chargers football team.

In 1954, he was elected a vice-president of Hilton Hotels Corporation, of which his father was president. The announcement was made on November 16, 1954, by Robert P. Williford, Executive Vice President. Barron also became president of the Carte Blanche credit card firm, was owner of a orange juice company, head of a business leasing jets and an investor in a Texas oil company.

In 1960, Barron founded the Los Angeles Chargers Professional Football team of the new American Football League. He moved his team to San Diego for the 1961 season. The team played in the first two American Football League championships, losing both to the Houston Oilers. They defeated the Boston Patriots for the 1963 AFL Championship.

Barron Hilton assumed the presidency of the Hilton Hotel chain in 1966.

In 1979, Barron's father died. He left US$500,000 each to two of his surviving siblings and US$10,000 to each of his nieces and nephews and his daughter Francesca. The bulk of his estate was left to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which he established in 1944. Barron contested the will because of his lifelong career of working to build the hotel company and won, which resulted in a negotiated settlement with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in 1989. Under the settlement the parties agreed to divide the disputed shares of stock into three parts: Barron Hilton would receive 4 million shares, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation would receive 3.5 million shares, and the remaining 6 million shares would be placed in the W. Barron Hilton Charitable Remainder Unitrust. Upon Barron Hilton's death, Unitrust assets will be transferred to the Hilton Foundation.

In 1986, Hilton was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Houston.

Barron is on the board of directors of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

On December 25, 2007, Hilton announced that he will be diverting approximately 97 percent of his fortune to a charitable trust that will eventually be merged with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Jerry Oppenheimer, who profiled the Hilton family in House of Hilton (2006), has said Barron Hilton is embarrassed by his granddaughter Paris' behavior and believes it has sullied the family name. There was no response from her.