The mining-and-media dynasty behind America's largest newspaper empire — and the castle that inspired “Citizen Kane.”
George Hearst made a mining fortune and became a U.S. Senator from California. His son, William Randolph Hearst, turned a single newspaper into the largest newspaper chain in the country and a sprawling media empire.
William Randolph Hearst's flamboyant life and his palatial Hearst Castle at San Simeon inspired the classic film “Citizen Kane.” The family's company, Hearst Communications, remains a major media enterprise.
The Hearsts shaped American journalism (for better and worse, through the “yellow press” era) and built one of the country's great media fortunes. Hearst Castle is now a celebrated California landmark.
The family company endures across magazines, newspapers, and broadcasting.
The Hearst family is based in California. Founders of a media empire that endures as Hearst Communications
1880s.
George Hearst — mining magnate and U.S. Senator
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Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).