When people talk about the Hearst family, they usually picture the legendary "Citizen Kane" figure, the massive castle at San Simeon, or maybe the 1970s headlines about Patty Hearst. But honestly, the real power and the massive fortune—estimated around $21 billion—now rest in the hands of the william randolph hearst grandchildren and their children. This isn't just a story about "old money." It is a complex web of corporate governance, public scandal, and a very specific legal clock that is currently ticking.
You've probably heard the rumors that the Hearst family doesn't actually run their own company. That's kinda true. The patriarch, William Randolph Hearst (WRH), didn't want his five sons to blow the inheritance on champagne and bad bets. So, he set up a trust. It’s a rigid, 13-member board that controls the Hearst Corporation. Only five of those seats are reserved for family. The rest? Professional executives.
But here is the wild part: the trust officially dissolves only when the last of the william randolph hearst grandchildren who were alive at the time of his death in 1951 finally passes away. We are literally watching the final chapters of a legal era.
Who Are the William Randolph Hearst Grandchildren?
The lineage starts with WRH’s five sons: George, William Randolph Jr., John, and the twins, Randolph and David. Between them, they produced a crop of grandchildren who vary from quiet corporate leaders to full-blown tabloid fixtures.
Take William Randolph Hearst III. Most people just call him "Will." If you're looking for the intellectual heavyweight of the bunch, it’s him. He’s the chairman of the board now. He didn't just sit on a pile of cash; he worked as a journalist, was the publisher of the San Francisco Examiner, and even became a partner at the venture capital giant Kleiner Perkins. He’s the one who bridges the gap between the old-school ink-stained newspaper days and the modern tech world.
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Then you have the cousins. George Randolph Hearst Jr. was a massive figure in the company for decades before he passed in 2012. His sister, Phoebe Hearst Cooke, was equally influential until her death. Because the family is so large, the "grandchildren" category isn't just one or two people; it’s a list of descendants who have had to figure out how to be "Hearsts" in a world that often wants to caricature them.
The Patty Hearst Factor
You can't talk about the grandchildren without talking about Patricia (Patty) Hearst. She is the daughter of Randolph Apperson Hearst. Her kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1974 is basically the most famous thing to ever happen to the family after the invention of yellow journalism.
Honestly, Patty’s life after the trial is what's really interesting. She didn't stay a radical. She became a socialite, an author, and even an actress in John Waters films. She’s often seen at Westminster Dog Shows now. It’s a bizarre, very American arc. Her siblings, like Virginia Hearst Randt and Anne Hearst, have mostly stayed out of the line of fire, focusing on the family’s philanthropic efforts and the board of directors.
The Power Struggle and the "Trust" Problem
Basically, the Hearst Corporation is a money-making machine. They own Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, ESPN (via a 20% stake), and a ton of local TV stations. But the william randolph hearst grandchildren don't just get to walk into the vault and grab bags of cash.
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The "Family Trust" is the gatekeeper.
- The Dividends: The heirs get massive payouts, but they don't have total "control."
- The Professional Managers: Outsiders like Frank Bennack Jr. and Steven Swartz have historically run the day-to-day.
- The Real Estate: The family still oversees the 82,000-acre ranch around Hearst Castle.
There has been tension. In the past, some family members felt they were being "nannied" by the trust. They wanted more say. They wanted more access. But WRH’s will was ironclad. He saw how other dynasties, like the Pulitzers, fell apart because of family infighting, and he decided to prevent that from the grave.
The Next Generation: Great-Grandchildren
While we focus on the grandchildren, the "Greats" are already making moves. Lydia Hearst (Patty’s daughter) is a successful model and actress. Amanda Hearst co-founded Maison de Mode. Emma Hearst made a name for herself as a chef in New York.
These younger heirs are less about "media dominance" and more about "lifestyle branding." They’ve leveraged the name into high-society status while the actual business of the Hearst Corporation is handled by the board.
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Why the Hearst Legacy Still Matters Today
It’s easy to dismiss this as a "rich people" story, but the Hearst influence is everywhere. Every time you scroll through an A+E Network show or read a major magazine, you're interacting with the Hearst engine.
The william randolph hearst grandchildren have managed to do something very few American dynasties do: they stayed wealthy without losing the company. Most family businesses die by the third generation. The "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" rule didn't apply here because the legal structure WRH built was too strong to break.
Practical Insights for Following the Hearst Fortune
If you are tracking the family or interested in the history of American media, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- The Trust Expiration: Monitor the health and status of the remaining grandchildren. When the trust dissolves, the Hearst Corporation could theoretically be sold or go public. That would be the biggest media story of the decade.
- Philanthropy: The Hearst Foundations (William Randolph Hearst Foundation and The Hearst Foundation) are massive. They give away millions in grants for education and health. If you're in the non-profit world, this is where the family's "public" face lives.
- Real Estate Shifts: Watch what the family does with the Western Properties. The land around San Simeon is some of the most valuable in California, and how they manage the conservation of that land says a lot about their current priorities.
The Hearst story isn't over. It’s just getting quieter as it gets more professional. The days of yellow journalism and "Citizen Kane" bluster have been replaced by strategic board meetings and diversified portfolios. But at the center of it all, the william randolph hearst grandchildren remain the keepers of one of the most significant names in American history.
To understand the current state of the Hearst empire, start by researching the current board of directors at Hearst Communications. Look for the names that carry the "Hearst" surname versus the executive trustees to see where the balance of power currently sits. Following the Hearst Foundations' annual reports will also give you a clear picture of which family branches are most active in the public eye today.