These days, Candy Spelling is probably most famous for being the mother of Tori Spelling, but that doesn't do her achievements in life any justice. Spelling is a very successful author and performer, although it wouldn't be rude to suggest that she also married well. She was wed to wealthy TV producer Aaron Spelling in the 1960s and inherited his vast estate when he died in 2006. The bulk of her current value comes from that inheritance.
Spelling is a regular online columnist, often sought out for work by the Huffington Post, and TMZ, and also lends her time and resources to charitable causes - her interest in animal welfare has led to her sitting on the board of the American Humane Association. She made $85m of her fortune by selling real estate to another entrant on this list; British heiress Petra Ecclestone.