| Name | Perez Hilton |
| Net Worth | $22 Million |
| Date of Birth | March 23, 1978 |
| Profession | Influencer |
| Nationality | American |
Early Life
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., officially known as Perez Hilton, was born on March 23, 1978. Raised in a Cuban household in Miami, he went through his foundational years in the culturally diverse locales of Westchester and Little Havana.
Growing up he went to an all-boys Catholic school. His educational aspirations led him to graduate in 1996, gaining a scholarship to NYU, with dreams of following a path to acting.
Career Beginnings
After finishing his studies at NYU in 2000, Hilton entered the universe of acting, but eventually transitioned to blogging. He started out as a freelance author and editor for a variety of publications. These included, but were not limited to, Instinct, a gay-men themed magazine, and GLAAD, an LGBT rights group.
Initially created as a pastime, Lavandeira’s blog quickly found itself in unexpected territory. While the majority of bloggers in the 2000s wrote about their personal experiences, Lavandeira concentrated on the lives of celebrities. Originally titled PageSixSixSix.com, his blog got infamous within the first six months, with The Insider terming it as “Hollywood’s Most Hated Website”.
After the article by The Insider was published, PageSixSixSix’s servers got overloaded within days, and Lavandeira achieved major popularity through bad publicity.
Career Highlights
At this point, the website went through a major change and took on the mantle of PerezHilton.com, inspired by Lavandeira’s favorite star, Paris Hilton. He even started using the pseudonym Perez Hilton calling himself “the Latin version of Paris Hilton”.
With the passage of time, PerezHilton.com became a titan in the influencer market. Those deemed worthy by Lavandeira got positive exposure. He also developed platonic relationships with favorites like Paris Hilton.
Lavandeira showed a knack for skyrocketing celebrities’ professions. For example, the international musician Mika developed a strong following in North America, following positive reviews on PerezHilton(dot)com.
On the other hand, famous people who weren’t on Lavandeira’s good side, stumbled in their professions. He had a skill for getting access to classified data, like sexual orientation or nude pictures. This polarizing approach to entertainment journalism got denounced by many big-time players in the entertainment industry.
Lavandeira worked 17-hour shifts churning out at least 30 pieces of gossip within 24 hours. So, despite initial problems faced by the site, it soon became one of the go-to blogs for insider information on high-profile celebrities.
2.6 million unique visitors per month viewed the site by 2007. In 2014, it achieved a global rank as the 1,234th most visited site, despite a decline in popularity.
Controversies
Throughout its existence, PerezHilton.com has been no stranger to controversies. In 2007, Lavandeira incorrectly reported that Cuban leader Fidel Castro had passed away. Castro even replied to the reports of his demise by making fun of them.
Disapproval has also been directed at PerezHilton.com for pressuring stars to come out of the closet. Celebrities who are victims of Lavandeira’s controversial tactics include Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris.
These methods have faced backlash from the LGBT community. Whereas Lavandeira has stated that he contributes these coming-out processes as positive for the gay community as, according to him, it raises awareness.
Legal Problems
PerezHilton.com has been subjected to many legal problems since its inception. From leaking previously unreleased Britney Spears songs to defaming DJ Samantha Ronson, Lavandeira had to pay a hefty sum of $85,000 in damages owing to these accusations.
These issues were only the tip of the iceberg for Lavandeira. The posting of Collin Farrell’s sex tape and the release of Jennifer Aniston’s topless photo also led to financial woes. Lavandeira subsequently defended himself by stating that these articles were intended as humorous.
Lavandeira had to change his hosting provider amid all these controversies. He still managed to keep his site online despite these legal challenges.
Personal Life
Lavandeira has three children through the process of surrogacy.
Earnings
Lavandeira disclosed his ad revenue in 2007. For a standalone ad he charged $9,000 per week. For a complete ad package his rate was $45,000 per week.
Despite the website decreasing in visitors since its golden age, it continues to make money. Lavandeira once got an offer of $50 million to sell his site to which he declined.
Properties
For an exact sum of $2 million, in 2009, Lavandeira bought a Mediterranean-style villa in West Hollywood. This 4,300 square-foot investment has got four bedrooms, a yard with a pool and a spa, and a secure driveway. Setting the asking price at $2.9 million, Lavandeira listed this real estate for sale in 2010.
In 2013, Lavandeira shifted houses to Manhattan, where he was reportedly looking at a variety townhomes in the vicinity.
In 2015, Lavandeira invested $2.9 million in his LA Mid-City residence. For a sum of $4.2 million, he listed this property for sale in 2023.
Lavandeira then again shifted in January 2023, to Las Vegas this time.
Conclusion
Perez Hilton is an influencer whose massive net worth of $22 million is due to his blogging efforts and smart real estate investments.