Paris Hilton: How Playing DUMB Helped Me Build a BILLION Dollar Empire

Heiress, icon, mogul, mom—and the original influencer. In this episode of The Burnouts, Paris Hilton gets real with Phoebe and Sophia about turning a catchphrase into a global brand, the pain behind her activism, and why being underestimated was her greatest advantage. She opens up about creating the “dumb blonde” persona as a form of power, testifying before Congress as a survivor, and why she believes angel numbers (and small-town nerds) are the secret to everything. Plus: what it’s like running 30 businesses, parenting with purpose, and building 11:11 Media to bring it all together. This isn’t the Paris Hilton you think you know. Also: DJ paychecks, ADHD superpowers, and how to spot a fragile man.   🕯️✨ USE CODE "BURNOUTS15" FOR 15% OFF YOUR ORDER ON THE LIMITED-EDITION PHLUR X THE BURNOUTS CANDLE  ✨🕯️   🔍 CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro 1:45 - Inventing the “Paris Hilton” character 5:00 - ADHD and the art of doing everything 9:40 - Playing dumb, trademarking “That’s Hot” 13:15 - From survivor to Capitol Hill 18:00 - Why she’d never date a guy from LA 20:45 - Paris' obsession with angel numbers 24:00 - Advice for building a brand   🔗 FOLLOW US Phoebe Gates Sophia Kianni Paris Hilton   🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTS Instagram TikTok LinkedIn 📲 Download the Phia app to start saving money: www.phia.com Subscribe to The Burnouts for bold, raw interviews with the thinkers, athletes, and founders redefining ambition. Hosted by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni—former Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders—each episode dives into the unpolished truths of building a life and career that matters. This isn’t another founder podcast. It’s what building something in your 20s actually sounds like—unfiltered, in-progress, and a little bit chaotic.