Olivia Palermo, the daughter of real estate developer Douglas Palermo of Italian descent and interior designer Lynn Hutchings, was born and raised between the Upper East Side of New York and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Nightingale-Bamford School and later St. Luke's School, where she was an active member of the field hockey team.
Palermo's academic pursuits took her to the American University of Paris for a year, where she studied media, and then to The New School in New York, where she continued her media studies. However, her family's financial situation took a turn for the worse in 2007, when her father filed for bankruptcy after failing to pay $2.75 million to a creditor. The bankruptcy was later overturned when it was discovered that Palermo's father had used multiple fake organizations to obscure his actual worth, allowing him to borrow money, join private clubs, and send his children to expensive schools.
Palermo's social life took off when she interned at Quest, a company that aligns with her interests. Her charm and beauty caught the attention of photographer Patrick McMullan, who took pictures of her at various events and parties. She soon found herself on the charity event circuit in New York, becoming a member of the Friends Committee of New Yorkers For Children and joining the committee of Operation Smile.
However, Palermo's socialite status was put to the test when she was reported to have sent a letter to fellow socialites pleading for acceptance. The letter, which was later published on the social website Socialite Rank.com, sparked controversy and led Palermo to deny its authenticity and file a lawsuit against the website. The website was eventually shut down, and Palermo appeared on the cover of New York Magazine in a story about the incident in May 2007.
Today, Palermo is in a long-term relationship with model Johannes Huebl, whom she started dating in 2008.
