Meadow Rain Walker is all grown up: 5 things to know about the daughter of Fast & Furious star Paul Walker and sole heir to his US$25 million fortune

Feb 26 , 2021

Late actor Paul Walker and his only child, daughter Meadow Rain Walker. Photos: @meadowwalker/Instagram

Meadow Rain Walker was only 15 years old when her father, Paul – the star of the Fast & Furious film franchise – died in a horrific car crash in the outskirts of Hollywood in 2013.

While the late star’s only child has been relatively low profile in the seven years since his death, she recently turned up as the face of Proenza Schouler’s autumn/winter 2021 collection at New York Fashion Week, walking alongside Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter to US Vice-President Kamala Harris and newly heralded fashion icon.

So what do we know about Meadow Walker herself?

She became a multimillionaire before she turned 18

Meadow Walker. Photo: @meadowwalker/Instagram

Paul Walker was only 40 years old when his tragic accident ended his life, but by then he had already earned a fortune of around US$25 million – which he left entirely to Meadow. The move surprised many, including his brothers, Cody and Caleb, and his mother who reportedly received nothing in his will.

Her inheritance caused a rift

Soon after the actor’s death, Paul’s mother Cheryl Ann sued for guardianship of Meadow. The lawsuit forced a nasty court battle, with Meadow squaring off against her paternal grandmother, who alleged that the then-teenager’s mother, Rebecca Soteros, had a drinking problem and was unfit to parent.

Paul Walker and young Meadow Walker. Photo: @meadowwalker/Instagram

The case was ultimately dismissed, and Meadow and her mother were able to remain together.

Her father’s famous co-stars still look out for her

When her father shot to fame in 2001’s The Fast and the Furious – the first in a long-running franchise depicting the dangerous world of illegal street racing in New York City, that would also star Vin Diesel and world’s top-earning celebrity Instagrammer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – Meadow was still just a toddler. That hasn’t stopped the film’s star-studded cast from maintaining close ties with Paul’s daughter, however: on her 21st birthday, Diesel posted an emotional message on Instagram, writing, “I am so proud of the person you are becoming,” referring to himself as her “Uncle Vin”. Meadow has also publicly expressed her love on social media for Jordana Brewster, who starred as Paul’s love interest in the film series.

She’s an aspiring model and BFFs with a second-generation supermodel

At just 22 years old, Meadow made headlines when she landed the Proenza Schouler campaign this year – undoubtedly a huge breakthrough for any aspiring fashion model. Tall, slim and beautiful, Meadow seemed destined to become a star – and it’s only natural that she’s already made close connections with other supermodels.

Last year, Meadow posted a series of Instagram posts where she referred to Kaia Gerber – the daughter of 90s supermodel Cindy Crawford and a successful model in her own right – as the “love of my life”.

She’s putting her father’s fortune to good use

Most cashed-up teenagers might blow their riches on frivolous shopping sprees and partying with their friends, but Meadow had other plans for her multimillion-dollar inheritance. In 2015, she founded the Paul Walker Foundation, a philanthropic organisation offering scholarships for students looking to study marine biology. Her father was an avid patron of ocean conservation and research, and the foundation was established with the intention of extending Paul’s legacy for decades to come. Looks like she’s inherited more than just the actor’s good looks.

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Fame and celebrity

The aspiring model recently walked for Proenza Schouler alongside Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff at New York Fashion Week
She’s tight with her dad’s co-stars Vin Diesel and Jordana Brewster, and Cindy Crawford’s daughter Kaia Gerber, exchanging heartfelt messages on Instagram