Paris Hilton is mourning the death of her grandfather Barron Hilton

Sharing a series of throwback pictures with her grandfather, Paris wrote on Twitter: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my grandfather Barron Hilton. He was a Legend, a visionary, brilliant, handsome, kind and lived a life full of accomplishment and adventure. Ever since I was a little girl I have looked up to him as a businessman. I feel so grateful to have had such an incredible mentor. I always wanted to make him proud. The last conversation we had a few days ago I told him how much of an impact he had on my life. His spirit, heart and legacy will live on in me."

Barron - who was born in Dallas, Texas in 1927 - retired from the hotel chain in 1996. He vowed in 2007 that he would give 97 per cent of his wealth to charities through the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which the foundation now expected to grow from a whopping $2.9 billion to $6.3 billion following his passing.

The current president and CEO of Hilton Hotels, Christopher J. Nassetta, said in a statement: "Barron Hilton was an incredible family man, business leader and philanthropist. From his leadership of our company for more than three decades, to the transformative work he led with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for many years, Barron was a man unlike any other. I always found inspiration in how he saw the tremendous potential of hospitality to change the world for the better - and in the unique and meaningful ways he sought to make that happen."

Barron died on Thursday (19.09.19) in Los Angeles at the age of 91 of natural causes.