Image credit: Getty Images/Jeff Kravitz
5 Oct 2026 | 12:06 Anna Wintour, the longtime Vogue editor and a defining figure in the fashion industry, has an eldest child who followed a very different professional path. He served as chief resident at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and treated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being born into a famous family can open doors, but it does not decide which door a person ultimately walks through. For children of celebrities and billionaires, the challenge can be particularly unusual. They grow up around extraordinary wealth, influential people and careers that attract public attention. Yet some choose professions far removed from their parents’ worlds. Anna Wintour’s son, Dr Charles Shaffer, offers an interesting example. he pursued medicine While his mother became one of the most influential figures in fashion. His choice raises a bigger question about family legacy: does success mean continuing a parent’s story, or finding a purpose of one’s own? Dr Charles Shaffer trained in medicine, studied at the University of Oxford and earned his medical degree from Columbia University. He has also built a family life with his wife, Elizabeth Cordry, and their two daughters. Medicine demands years of training, patience and a willingness to put other people’s needs first. It is a striking contrast to the highly visible world of fashion publishing, where his mother built her reputation. Shaffer’s career also shows why a famous surname need not become a professional identity. Charles’s sister, Bee Shaffer Carrozzini, has worked in television and theatre production. She worked as a segment producer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and later moved into Broadway production, with credits connected to shows including Parade and The Wiz. Her route is still connected to creative industries, but it is not simply a continuation of her mother’s career. Production involves shaping what audiences see without necessarily becoming the public face of a project. Actor Harrison Ford’s son, Ben Ford, pursued food rather than Hollywood. He became a chef and cookbook author and established a restaurant career in Los Angeles. His choice highlights an often-overlooked distinction: growing up around celebrity does not automatically make acting the most appealing profession. A kitchen offers its own demands, from mastering techniques to managing a team and consistently delivering a good meal. Sam Springsteen, the son of musician Bruce Springsteen and singer Patti Scialfa, became a firefighter in New Jersey. Unlike the music industry, firefighting offers little room for celebrity privilege when an emergency unfolds. The job requires teamwork, discipline and a readiness to respond when other people need help. It is a reminder that meaningful work does not always come with fame or applause. Bill Gates’s daughter, Jennifer Gates, pursued medicine and trained in the field, while Emma Thompson’s adopted son, Tindyebwa Agaba, has worked in human rights activism. Their paths reflect different interests, not a single formula for success. A medical career, public service, creative production or human rights work can each offer a sense of purpose. The larger lesson is not that children of famous people must reject their parents’ industries. Some may genuinely share those interests. What matters is whether they have room to develop ambitions beyond family expectations.
For parents, wealth and influence can provide opportunities, but they cannot supply a child with a personal sense of meaning. A lasting legacy may be less about passing down a name or an empire and more about allowing the next generation to decide what a worthwhile life looks like. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.