12 big business ‘nepotism babies’ born into privilege: from Samsung Electronics chair Jay Y. Lee and FedEx heir Richard Smith, to Donald Trump’s sons Donald Jr. and Eric and LVMH’s Delphine Arnault

Jan 9 , 2023

Being born into a corporate empire certainly has its perks for Abigail Johnson, Jay Y. Lee, Delphine Arnault, A.G. Sulzberger, Donald Trump Jr. and Lachlan Murdoch. Photos: @eho.capital/Instagram, EPA-EFE, AFP, SCMP, AP, TNS

Some of the world’s biggest corporations are family-run, like media tycoon News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch’s son Lachlan working on Fox News, the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal

Ralph Lauren’s son David, who’s married to George H.W. Bush’s granddaughter Lauren, is the eponymous brand’s vice-chairman, while Shari Redstone now chairs Paramount Global behind MTV and CBS

As the saying goes, it’s not what you know, but who you know. That’s all the more true for “nepo baby” executives who have bagged high-powered jobs at their family businesses.

The term nepo baby – short for nepotism baby – entered popular use last month after New York magazine took a deep dive into the world of Hollywood nepotism. The front cover of the magazine’s December issue used the term while featuring eight Hollywood celebrities in onesies with the headline, “She has her mother’s eyes. And her agent”.

The nepotism baby feature in New York Magazine. Photo: @vulture/Twitter

Now it’s our turn. Here’s our list of 12 nepo babies from the world of big business – high-flying executives whose family ties have given them a leg up the corporate ladder. Not all of them had even always wanted to work in the family business, but most gained a wealth of experience from relatively early ages in their parents’ companies and industries.

1 and 2. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump

Donald Trump, right, sits with his children, from left, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Trump International Hotel in July 2014, in Washington. Photo: AP

Donald Trump Jr., 45, and Eric Trump, 39, the eldest sons of former President Donald Trump, together run the Trump Organization as its executive vice-presidents.

Donald Trump Jr. has helped run the family business by overseeing building projects including Trump Park Avenue, 40 Wall Street, and Trump International Hotel and Tower.

In an interview in 2019, he ironically appeared to accuse Joe Biden’s son Hunter of benefiting from nepotism. He said Hunter had business dealings in countries outside the US only because “they’re really buying favour with the father”, adding: “When you’re the father and your son’s entire career is dependent on that, they own you.”

Donald Trump, second from right, chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, poses with his children, from left, Eric, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, at the opening of the Trump Soho New York, in April 2010. Photo: AP

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