Nepotism babies — aka “nepo babies” — are the privileged offspring of wealthy celebrities or industry insiders who have achieved some level of fame or success thanks to their familial connections.
The concept of celebrity kids getting a leg up is nothing new, but the moniker officially entered pop culture last year when New York Magazine declared 2022 “The Year of the Nepo Baby.”
Whether they’re in front of the camera (Lily-Rose Depp, Drew Barrymore, Dakota Johnson), on fashion runways (Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Lila Moss), selling out concert venues (Miley Cyrus, Willow Smith, Steve Aoki), or building a business empire (Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Gwyneth Paltrow), nepo babies are no strangers to the idea of scoring big breaks thanks to their famous family members.
So it’s no surprise that this fortunate bunch has also made big moves in real estate, each of them having bought and sold some of the most noteworthy properties imaginable.
Here’s a look into the noteworthy real estate of some of the most high-profile nepo babies.
Miley Cyrus
Cyrus, 30, is a chart-topping singer, songwriter, and actor whose work spans pop, country, rock, and hip-hop.
She rose to fame as a teen idol on Disney’s “Hannah Montana” — and she also happens to be the third daughter of country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus.
Her homes, like her career, are big and eclectic. Her most recent real estate activity was selling her Tennessee mansion for a cool $14.5m (AU$21.1m).
That’s nearly triple the $5.8m the “Wrecking Ball” singer paid for the Nashville-adjacent ranch five years ago.
The five-bedroom, six-bathroom farmhouse sprawls across 650 sqm. The property comes with a pool, a horse barn, and 33 acres of open space.
It’s not Cyrus’ only real estate investment, though. In 2020, she scooped up a remodelled home in Hidden Hills in California for less than $5m.
She has also had a home in Malibu (which she shared with her ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth), and a Studio City, California, midcentury modern abode with a pool and cabana that she picked up for $3.9m.
Kylie Jenner
Jenner, 25, became a serial entrepreneur at age 14, collaborating with her sister Kendall Jenner on a line of clothing for PacSun.
She has since launched other clothing and makeup lines and was famously named the youngest self-made billionaire at age 21 by Forbes.
Jenner is the daughter of Kris and Caitlyn Jenner and has starred on reality shows about her family since 2007, calling the “self-made” bit into question.
Jenner also invests in heavily in real estate. In 2022, she and her partner, Travis Scott, listed their six-bedroom, nine-bathroom 900 sqm Beverly Hills estate for $22m.
They’d picked it up for $13.4m four years earlier. Amenities include a home theatre, library, gym, wet bar, and huge 213sqm primary suite with a balcony.
Jenner’s other holdings include a $36.5m mansion in the Holmby Hills neighbourhood of Los Angeles and a vacation retreat in Palm Springs.
She’s also adding to the Kardashian-Jenner compound that’s taking shape in Hidden Hills. Jenner plunked down $15m for a lot right between her mother’s $20m home and sister Khloe Kardashian‘s $17m property.
Lily Collins
Collins is most famous for two things: her star role as Emily Cooper in Netflix’s hit series “Emily in Paris” and being the daughter of legendary musician Phil Collins.
The 33-year-old actor and model — who is married to Charlie McDowell, son of actors Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen — began acting in 2007, with bit roles in TV shows such as “90210,” then larger parts in films such as “The Blind Side” and “Mirror Mirror.”
Collins recently purchased a midcentury treasure for $3.9m (AU$5.7m) from “Saturday Night Live” alum Kristen Wiig.
The home was built in 1947 by the father-son team of Kemper Nomland Sr. and Kemper Nomland Jr.
It is considered a classic example of midcentury modernism. The 318 sqm home has an open floor plan, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, four bedrooms, and four baths.
This purchase was made on the heels of the 2021 sale of her Beverly Hills home for $13.5m, which she bought in 2016 for $12.5m.
Nicole Richie
The world got to know Richie when she co-starred on “The Simple Life” reality show with Paris Hilton. Since then, the 41-year-old TV personality, fashion designer, and socialite has been part of the pop culture landscape.
Her biological father is musician Peter Michael Escovedo, but she was adopted by superstar Lionel Richie, who was friends with Escovedo, and her biological mother, Karen Moss.
Richie shares her impressive real estate with her husband, Good Charlotte musician Joel Madden.
The pair snapped up their 576 sqm mansion in Beverly Hills for $10.2m (AU$14.9m) in 2021.
Before they purchased it, the home was featured in Architectural Digest after being redone by Simo Design. It boasts both style and substance — with the bonus of safety in a guard-gated community.
The floor plan includes a library, pool, spa, five bedrooms, and seven bathrooms. Thoughtful details include intricate millwork, wide-plank oak floors, and lime-washed walls.
Dakota Johnson
Johnson debuted on the silver screen at age 10, alongside her mother, Melanie Griffith, in “Crazy in Alabama.”
She’s since become a huge star in her own right, appearing in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise, “Suspiria,” “Bad Times at the El Royale,” “The Lost Daughter,” and more.
The 33-year-old is also the daughter of Don Johnson, and her partner is Coldplay rocker Chris Martin.
Her property is a bit of a detour from the glitzy spreads favoured by most nepo babies, although it was featured in Architectural Digest in 2020. In the interview, she describes the house — which she purchased in 2016 for $3.5m — as like a treehouse on a boat.
The midcentury modern home is in a sleepy neighbourhood of L.A. and was designed by modernist Carl Maston.
It features a lap pool, floor-to-ceiling windows, concrete floors, brass and glass fixtures, wood panelling, and eclectic interior design.
