Life for Paris Hilton wasn"t all about parties and hotel empires, she says had to work hard ABU DHABI: Paris Hilton never wanted to be “just another personality whose claim to fame and fortune was being born to a family of vast wealth,” and had to work harder to build a name for herself in the corporate world, delegates were told at a conference in Abu Dhabi. “I feel that just growing up with my family was obviously a lot to live up to, and I always wanted to make my family proud. I did not want to be known as the Hilton Hotel [magnate’s] granddaughter,” the celebrity and socialite said at Milken Institute 2020 MENA summit. “I had huge dreams, I wanted to work hard and be an independent woman to build up my own brand and a business,” she added. And Hilton said she pursued that dream, ultimately becoming successful, with help from her huge social media presence, “Using that platform in a positive way is such a powerful tool. I think with social media everybody is projecting something. I like it to be fun, but I also use it as a tool ... to drive sales and let people into my life,” she said. The superstar has a vast 11.6 million followers on Instagram and even a bigger base on Twitter with 17 million following her. OPINION Dimah Talal Alsharif Why that can of energy drink has doubled in price READ ARTICLE With the help of social media, she built a global brand boasting 19 product brands, including 25 fragrances worth $3 billion, a pet line valued at $50 million, a hair line worth $50 million, cosmetics valued at $150 million, sunglasses and eyewear at $175 million, handbags at $250 million and clothing at $300 million. “With these platforms you could reach people from all around the world, and I have a close relationship with my fan base. I consider them all my little brothers and sisters, and they call themselves the little Hiltons,” she said. Speaking on the same panel, Deepak Chopra, leading mental wellness expert, said that while social media counts as engagement, one has “to be clear what the goal is, what the vision is with social media.” “Social media is the way people engage these days. They do not go to advertisers, they do not go anywhere else, they function within their ecosystem,” he said. Deepak, in a nod to his stature as a leading figure in the New Age movement, said he usually posted only one social media post a day, making sure it covered four intentions. “That is how I can create an experience of a joyful energetic body; a loving, compassionate heart; a reflective alert mind and a lightness of being,“ he said.