Who Is Kathy Hilton's Husband? All About Rick Hilton

Kathy and Rick Hilton are noted American entrepreneurs, philanthropists and socialites who have somehow managed to keep their private life fairly private — even after Kathy joined the season 12 cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

The couple are parents to Paris, Nicky, Barron and Conrad, and have several grandchildren. They've long encouraged their children to build their own businesses and personal empires, just as the pair have done throughout the course of their decades-long marriage.

From his professional life to his growing family, here's everything to know about Rick Hilton.

He has been married to Kathy since 1979

Kathy and Rick met as teenagers and wed on Nov. 24, 1979.

"Happy 44th Anniversary to the most wonderful husband in the world. I love you more today than yesterday. Forever yours, Kathy," the reality star wrote on Instagram in November 2023 alongside a photo of the couple kissing on their wedding day.

He has four children with Kathy

Their first daughter, Paris, was born in 1981, while their second daughter, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, was born in 1983. Kathy and Rick also have sons Barron Hilton II, who was born in 1989, and Conrad Hughes Hilton, who followed in 1994.

In a 2007 interview with Access Hollywood, Kathy discussed parenting and the line between being a friend and a mother: "You know what? We are very, very close. We are on the phone, but I am their mother you know. There is that fine line." The mother of four continued, "I am very strict. I call my daughter up and say, 'That is enough now, stop, I don't want to hear any more. You better stay home.' "

"My children were not overly spoiled," Kathy said in a 2011 interview with TooFab. "They had to make their beds. They had to line up their shoes." She added that Paris and Nicky each paid for half of their cars, which they didn't get until they were 19 and 20, respectively.

He has seven grandchildren

Kathy and Rick's second daughter, Nicky, has three children: daughter Lily Grace Victoria (born in 2016), daughter Teddy Rothschild (born in 2017) and a son born in 2022.

Their son Barron and his wife, Tessa, have two children — Milou Alizée, who was born in March 2020, and Caspian Barron, who was welcomed in September 2022.

Tessa and Barron confirmed that they were expecting their second child in a PEOPLE exclusive, saying, "We are so excited. It wasn't planned, but we've realized that the best things in life never are. We have decided to wait until the baby's birth to discover the gender."

In January 2023, Paris and her husband, Carter Reum, welcomed their first child via surrogate.

"Paris and Carter, we know you are going to be the most amazing parents," Kathy said in a statement to PEOPLE. "We are so thrilled for you both! Thank you for this perfect addition to our ever-growing, beautiful family."

Reum and Paris welcomed their second child, daughter London, in late 2023. However, they have yet to introduce her to the public.

He has seven siblings

Born on Aug. 17, 1955, to Barron Hilton and Marilyn June Hawley, Rick is the sixth of eight children. The hotel mogul has two sisters — Hawley Hilton McAuliffe and Sharon Constance Hilton — and five brothers — William Barron Hilton Jr., Steven Hilton, David Hilton, Daniel Hilton and Ronald Hilton.

He started working for himself at 12 years old

Rick revealed in a 2014 interview with the Wall Street Journal that he started selling stationery door-to-door when he was just 12 years old. The Hilton & Hyland co-founder added that his father told him, "You're going to make much more money as an entrepreneur than working for others."

He studied the family business

His grandfather, Conrad N. Hilton, founded Hilton Hotels, and Rick worked in the family business as a teenager. In 1978, the real estate entrepreneur graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in hotel and restaurant management.

He runs a powerful real estate agency

Rick opened Hilton Realty Investment in 1984. Nine years later, he partnered with Jeff Hyland in Beverly Hills to form their luxury real estate brokerage Hilton & Hyland. According to the company website, Hilton & Hyland had annual sales of $4 billion in 2021 as well as a 31% market share of sales priced at $20 million or more.

In September 2019, Rick posted a YouTube video about Hilton & Hyland saying "We've created a brand that's globally recognized, which didn't happen overnight." He continued, "My father told me it takes 30 years to build a reputation, but it'll take you five minutes to ruin it, so we try to be very ethical in all of our dealings. We teach our agents the same thing."

Hilton & Hyland broke records when it sold Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion for $100 million. The luxury brokerage also transacted Candy Spelling's estate, which sold for $85 million in 2011, and then again for $119.75 million in 2019. Sadly, Hyland passed away in February 2022 following a battle with cancer.

He watches Kathy on RHOBH

Though Rick doesn't film with his wife, the famous businessman has been supportive of Kathy being on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

"He likes it," the socialite revealed during a September 2021 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Kathy thought it was "very cute" when he actually gave her a bit of coaching after seeing his wife's reaction to Garcelle Beauvais and Dorit Kemsley arguing at a table: "He goes, 'You're sitting all the way down at the table. You've got to get a little more aggressive.' "