Celebutante-Turned-Entrepreneur Paris Hilton is a self-proclaimed ‘Techie’.
What’s the first information you consume when you wake up in the morning?
Paris Hilton: I usually read all my work emails and then I check Instagram and Snapchat. Then I go to Flipboard to read all of my news. It’s the easiest way to have everything that interests me in one app.
Who do you follow on social media?
I’ve always loved Rihanna’s Instagram. She always has really great posts. She’s beautiful. I love her attitude and her style. Also Britney Spears. And on Vine, I like Brittany Furlan. I think she’s really funny.
Are you a big Vine user?
I was when it first came out, but now there are so many different social media sites that it’s hard to keep up with all of them. I like Snapchat the best now. I like their stories much better than the Instagram ones. I think they’re more creative and fun.
What are your favorite apps?
I really like Musical.ly, and I like Live.ly, which is kind of like Facebook Live. I love Postmates. You can order anything you want. The Cute CUT Pro app makes it really easy to make your own movies. And I love ordering things on Etsy and Dolls Kill, which has really cute clothes.
You just finished a summer DJ residency in Ibiza. Are there any apps or blogs you use to find new music for your shows?
I try to get to every single big music festival and check out friends’ shows so I can see what the crowd is into, and I always Shazam songs during the shows. I listen to a lot of new artists on SoundCloud and Beatport, or if I’m going to a new country where I haven’t played before, I’ll tweet out, “Hey guys, I’m coming to this place, what are your favorite songs right now?” so I can find out what my fans there are into.
Do you think that being at the center of the celebrity blog scene so early helped prepare you for the social media explosion?
Yeah, definitely. I’ve been in this industry for a long time now, and it’s so different nowadays with social media and being able to post and share everything. We didn’t have that growing up. But I definitely felt comfortable with it right away. I’ve always been a huge techie.
Do you have a favorite tech gadget?
I love my iPhone, but my new favorite gadget is my HTC Vive virtual reality headset. I met with HTC when I was in Shanghai, and they showed the headset to me and I was just completely blown away. Now, I’m actually doing several projects in the VR world, creating content and games. It’s just so mind-blowing how realistic it is. I love showing my friends because none of them have really seen anything like it.
What TV shows do you watch?
I travel so much that I don’t really have time to watch television, but if I’m on a plane, I’ll download shows from iTunes. I like watching American Horror Story, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Girls. And I love watching old episodes of The Simple Life [which Hilton starred in from 2003 to 2007]. They’re just so funny.
What’s on your reading list right now?
I really like books that have to do with positive energy and being happy, like The Power of Now—I’ve read that, like, three times—or The Secret. But this summer I didn’t really read as much because I’ve been traveling and working. The last thing people really do in Ibiza is read!
Specs
Age 35
Claim to fame Recording artist and DJ; businesswoman (her name is on more than 50 boutiques, a resort, and fashion, accessories and fragrance lines); former star of The Simple Life on Fox and E!
Base Los Angeles
Twitter @ParisHilton
This story first appeared in the September 5, 2016 issue of Adweek magazine
Featured image: US entrepreneur and socialite Paris Hilton takes part in the Grand Journal tv show, on the sidelines of the 68th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southeastern France, on May 20, 2015. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND LANGLOIS
