Zsa Zsa Gabor Net Worth

Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hungarian-born actress and socialite who had an estimated net worth of $20 million at the time of her death in December 2016. She died at the age of 99 after a long career in Hollywood and decades as one of the world’s most recognizable socialites.

Gabor first attracted attention in Europe after being crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She moved to the United States in the early 1940s and established herself as an actress, television personality and celebrity figure.

Her film career included appearances in Lovely to Look At, We’re Not Married!, Moulin Rouge, Death of a Scoundrel, The Girl in the Kremlin and Touch of Evil. She also became a familiar television personality through appearances on shows including The Merv Griffin Show, Hollywood Squares, Gilligan’s Island, The Love Boat, The Facts of Life and Batman.

Beyond acting, Gabor became famous for her glamorous lifestyle, distinctive personality and nine marriages. Her husbands included hotel magnate Conrad Hilton and actor George Sanders.

Gabor’s wealth was also tied to her long ownership of a mansion in Bel Air. She purchased the property in 1973 for $245,000, and it later changed hands for millions of dollars.

Early Life

Zsa Zsa Gabor was born on February 6, 1917, in Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary.

She was the middle daughter of Vilmos Gabor and Jolie Gabor. Her older sister, Magda, became a socialite, while her younger sister, Eva Gabor, became a successful actress and businesswoman.

Gabor developed an interest in performing at a young age. In 1934, Austrian operatic tenor Richard Tauber discovered her and invited her to appear in his operetta Der Singende Traum at the Theater an der Wien.

Two years later, she won the title of Miss Hungary.

Gabor eventually left Hungary and moved to the United States in the early 1940s. She arrived in America as Europe was being engulfed by World War II and began building a new career in entertainment.

Film Career

Gabor made her Hollywood film debut in 1952.

That year, she appeared in three productions, including Lovely to Look At, We’re Not Married! and John Huston’s Moulin Rouge.

Her early film work established her as a glamorous supporting actress. She subsequently appeared in movies including The Story of Three Loves, Lili, The Most Wanted Man, Love in a Hot Climate, 3 Ring Circus, Death of a Scoundrel and The Girl in the Kremlin.

In 1958, Gabor appeared in four films, including Queen of Outer Space and Orson Welles’ film noir Touch of Evil.

Her other notable credits included Pepe, Boys’ Night Out, Picture Mommy Dead, Drop Dead Darling and Jack of Diamonds.

Gabor continued working in film during the 1970s and 1980s. Her later appearances included Up the Front, Frankenstein’s Great Aunt Tillie, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, The Beverly Hillbillies and A Very Brady Sequel.

Television Career

Television became an important part of Gabor’s career and helped turn her into a household name beyond Hollywood films.

She appeared frequently on talk shows, variety programs and game shows, including What’s My Line?, The Milton Berle Show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

Gabor was a particularly frequent guest on The Merv Griffin Show, where she reportedly appeared 42 times. She also made 31 appearances on The Mike Douglas Show and 64 appearances on Hollywood Squares.

As an actress, she appeared on programs including General Electric Theater, Matinee Theater, Playhouse 90, Climax!, Make Room for Daddy, Burke’s Law, Gilligan’s Island, Bonanza and Batman.

On Batman, she played the villainous character Minerva.

Gabor later became a regular on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns, where she portrayed Lydia Marlowe. She also appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and other television productions.

Bel Air Mansion

In 1973, Gabor purchased a mansion on approximately 1.1 acres in Bel Air for $245,000.

The property later became one of the most recognizable homes associated with Gabor.

In 2011, the mansion was listed for $15 million. It sold in 2013 for approximately $11 million, although Gabor was reportedly allowed to continue living at the property after the sale.

The home was later sold for $10 million in 2017 and listed for $23.5 million in 2018. It eventually sold for approximately $21 million later that year.

In 2020, the property changed hands again, selling for approximately $16 million to mining billionaire Robert Friedland.

The mansion was also used as a stand-in for Liberace’s Las Vegas residence in the 2013 HBO film Behind the Candelabra.

Marriages and Children

Zsa Zsa Gabor was married nine times during her lifetime.

Her first husband was Turkish politician Burhan Asaf Belge, whom she married in the 1930s. She later married Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels, in 1942.

Gabor and Hilton had one daughter, Constance Francesca Gabor Hilton, who was commonly known as Francesca Hilton.

Her third husband was actor George Sanders. She later married businessman Herbert Hutner, followed by Joshua S. Cosden Jr., designer Jack Ryan and Michael O’Hara.

In 1983, she briefly married Felipe de Alba, but the marriage was annulled after only two days.

Her ninth and final husband was Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt. They married in 1986 and remained together until Gabor’s death in 2016.

Gabor had one biological child, Francesca. With von Anhalt, she also became connected to several adopted adult men who were legally incorporated into his aristocratic title and family structure.

Relationship With Conrad Hilton

Gabor’s marriage to Conrad Hilton remains one of the most notable relationships in her life.

The couple married in 1942 and divorced in 1947. Their daughter, Francesca Hilton, was born in 1947.

Decades later, Gabor made allegations about the circumstances surrounding Francesca’s conception. Those claims became part of the complicated history surrounding the former couple.

Through Francesca’s connection to the Hilton family, Gabor was also the mother of Paris Hilton’s great-aunt.

Controversies

Gabor’s celebrity status frequently placed her in the headlines.

In 1989, she was pulled over by police while driving and slapped an officer during the incident. She was subsequently convicted of several charges arising from the confrontation.

In 2002, Gabor was involved in a serious car accident in Los Angeles that left her partially paralyzed and contributed to her declining mobility.

Her later years were marked by increasingly serious health problems.

Health Problems and Later Years

Gabor experienced multiple serious health problems during the final years of her life.

After the 2002 car accident, she suffered strokes in 2005 and 2007. She was hospitalized again in 2010 in serious condition.

In 2011, doctors amputated part of her right leg after she developed a life-threatening infection.

She subsequently spent increasing amounts of time receiving medical care and was hospitalized on several occasions.

Despite her declining health, Gabor remained a prominent figure in popular culture and continued to attract media attention.

Death

Gabor was hospitalized shortly before her 99th birthday in 2016 after experiencing breathing difficulties.

She later fell into a coma and died from cardiac arrest on December 18, 2016, at the age of 99.

Her husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, remained by her side during her final years.

In 2021, Gabor’s remains were moved to Budapest and interred at the Kerepesi Cemetery, fulfilling her wish to return to her native Hungary.

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