Barron Hilton, who parlayed his father’s namesake lodging venture into one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, died Thursday at age 91.
His death was due to “natural causes,” according to a statement released by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the charitable organization founded by his father.
Barron Hilton assumed the CEO and president’s posts in 1966 as the hotel industry was entering a fast-growth period because of increased jet and automobile travel. He added the duties of chairman after his father died in 1979.
He would retain those roles until his semiretirement in 1996, when he narrowed his involvement with Hilton Hotels to chairman. He ultimately pared his duties to vice chairman, sharing duties with longtime protege and handpicked successor Stephen Bollenbach.
Together, they sold the company to the private equity giant Blackstone Group in 2007 in a deal valued at $26 billion. By that time, Barron Hilton claimed to be the world’s second-largest hotel chain, with 2,800 global properties. Included were such landmark properties as the Waldorf Astoria and Plaza Hotel in New York City.
During his leadership, Barron Hilton diversified into gaming and started franchising. He also launched one of the hospitality industry’s first credit card, Carte Blanche, which was intended to be an amenity for Hilton Hotels’ frequent guests.
"I always found inspiration in how he saw the tremendous potential of hospitality to change the world for the better—and in the unique and meaningful ways he sought to make that happen," Christopher J. Nassetta, the current CEO of Hilton Hotels, said in a statement.
Barron Hilton also drew fame as the founding owner of the Los Angeles Chargers professional football team. The team was one of the original clubs in the American Football League, which eventually merged with the National Football League to become the NFL. He would later recall those days as a pro team owner as the happiest time of his life.
His name would occasionally surface on celebrity websites in recent years because he was the grandfather of socialite Paris Hilton.
“The Hilton family mourns the loss of a remarkable man,” said Steven M. Hilton, Barron’s son and chairman of the board for the Foundation. “My father was a loving husband to our mother, Marilyn, a wonderful role model to his eight children, a loyal and generous friend, visionary businessman, respected leader and a passionate sportsman. He lived a life of great adventure and exceptional accomplishment.”
In 2007, Barron Hilton announced his intention to leave about 97% of his fortune to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a gift valued today at about $3.4 billion.
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