Every parent wants to be able to help their child. In some cases, this means coming up with the down payment on a car, and in others, it means co-signing an apartment lease. Then there are times when it means offering them a controlling stake in a major US corporation.

The fortunes passed down from billionaire parents to their children have allowed businesses to continue under well-known family names long after the principals are gone. Those fortunes have also provided them the resources to get a new venture off the ground.

Whether they’re passing down a longstanding empire to the next generation or providing the backing for a new investment, the wealth that billionaire parents have handed down has created opportunities that otherwise might not exist.

Click ahead to see who some of these billionaires are, and how their children are using their resources.

By Daniel Bukszpan, Special to CNBC.com
Posted 8 Feb 2011