what happened to paul getty and the kidnapping

The Tragic Existent-Life Story Of The Getty Family

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The phrase "money can't buy happiness" sounds wise, but it overlooks one important fact: Money can, in fact, purchase the things that make us happy. Of course, too much of anything is bad for you, and that's actually where the money bites you. When you can have anything you lot desire at whatever time, it's easy to lose yourself.

Example in point: The Getty family. One time ranked as one of the wealthiest families in the globe—and still worth billions—the descendants of Jean Paul Getty'south oil empire have spent the last five decades experiencing the corrosive effects of coin. While their name is still inextricably linked to the oil business and the bondage of gas stations that once bore their name, the family sold its interests in the 1980s for an eye-popping amount of money and have nil to do with the oil business organisation.

Still, in that location'south that heart-popping amount of coin. The Getty family actually makes beingness incredibly rich sound like a actually terrible way to alive, which is quite an achievement. You might be searching the couch cushions for rent money, but at least you oasis't experienced the sheer number of kidnappings, suicides, and other horrors inflicted on the Gettys.

Jean Paul Getty had five failed marriages

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Jean Paul Getty was an American success story. Given $10,000 to invest past his male parent, Paul congenital upwardly the largest private fortune in the earth over the adjacent few decades. Despite beingness a relatively late entrant into the oil industry during its boom years, Paul had a nose for the business and was wildly successful.

Paul was incredibly unsuccessful as a married man, however. Equally noted by Forbes, over the grade of his 83 years on this Earth, Paul married—and divorced—five times, with the last divorce coming when he was 66-years-old. None of the marriages were happy, either. According to The New York Times, his last wife accused him of skimping on paying for the cancer treatments for his young son Timmy, and when Timmy succumbed to his brain tumor at the age of 6, Paul didn't bother to attend the funeral.

One reason for Paul'southward marital failures might have been his enormous sexual appetites. As reported past Vanity Fair, he kept multiple mistresses living with him in his mansion, took handfuls of vitamins and "sex drugs" to stay potent into his 80s, and often boasted of having sex activity with multiple women in one day. That sort of thing tends to put a damper on marital bliss no affair how rich you are.

The love of John Paul Getty, Jr.'southward life overdosed

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Jean Paul Getty'south kids and grandkids were brought up in wealth, only information technology didn't do them whatsoever favors. His tertiary son, Eugene, inverse his name to John Paul Getty, Jr. when he was 16. According to Forbes, he was seen equally the heir apparent to his father'southward business concern empire and was his father's favorite son.

Paul Jr. married his longtime girlfriend Gail Harris in 1956. The couple had 4 children and moved to Italy. Things seemed to exist going great for Paul Jr., but every bit Refinery29 reports he savage in with a maverick crowd. He began living a drug-fueled lifestyle, divorced Gail, and took upward with model and actress Talitha Politician, marrying her in 1966. Paul Sr. disapproved of, well, everything his son had been up to and gave him an ultimatum: Sober up and leave Talitha, or he'd be fired from his executive position with Getty Oil. Paul Jr. resigned on the spot, comforted past the $100,000 a year he received from a trust (a little over $800,000 in today's money). The couple set upwards in Morocco, had a son they improbably named Tara Gabriel Galaxy Gramophone, and sank into deep heroin employ.

Talitha left Paul Jr. in 1968, moving to London to sober up and raise Tara. Paul Jr. moved back to Rome, and in 1971 convinced Talitha to come up back to him. They fell back into their drug habit, and she died of an overdose presently afterwards.

Jean Paul Getty's oldest son committed suicide

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Jean Paul Getty'due south oldest son, George Franklin Getty 2, was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Getty Oil Visitor in 1967. This would normally be a sign of affection and trust from his father, but every bit Vanity Fair reports the contrary was truthful: Jean Paul Getty idea very trivial of his son'due south business organization skills, and ofttimes fabricated decisions without consulting him. This made George little more a figurehead. And he wasn't close to his begetter, either, famously calling him "Mr. Getty" and revealing he didn't run into much of his dad afterward the historic period of 10—about of their contact was via letter.

All of this conspired to brand George incredibly unhappy. Forbes notes George was really a pretty successful man of affairs, holding director roles with both Bank of America and Douglas Shipping. But his father's depression opinion ruined his confidence, and past the early on 1970s George began drinking heavily. He chop-chop moved on to pills and other drugs.

On June half-dozen, 1973, George and his wife fought bitterly. George locked himself in his bedroom and began drinking and taking pills. There are reports he fired a shotgun into the air and threatened to kill anybody, and then he stabbed himself in the belly with a barbecue fork. Eventually he passed out and slipped into a coma. The family, worried almost the scandal, delayed medical care by taking him to a afar individual hospital, where he before long died.

If y'all or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

John Paul Getty III was kidnapped and held for ransom

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Perhaps the most famous tragedy to agonize the Getty family happened in 1973 when Jean Paul Getty's grandson, John Paul Getty Iii, was kidnapped while living in Italy. This famous issue has been made into both a film (All the Money in the Earth with Christopher Plummer taking over the role of Jean Paul Getty from Kevin Spacey) and a television receiver series, Trust.

Rolling Rock reports Paul Iii fell in with a drug-soaked bohemian crowd. He didn't have much access to money, just his proper name opened doors and kept the drugs and good times flowing. In July, his female parent received a letter from him stating he'd been kidnapped, merely she initially dismissed it, because Paul III had often speculated he might pry some money out of his grandfather past faking his own kidnapping.

When it became clear the grandson actually had been kidnapped by Italian gangsters, Jean Paul Getty famously refused to pay the $17 million they demanded as bribe. The crusty old billionaire said it was a practical matter: He had fourteen grandchildren, and if he paid this ransom they would all exist in danger of kidnapping. Even after the kidnappers cut off the child'due south ear and sent it equally proof of their intentions, the old man stood his ground, eventually negotiating the bribe downwardly to $3 meg—a million of which came every bit a loan to his son, which would take to be paid back.

John Paul Getty Three spent most of his life paralyzed

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Jean Paul Getty's grandson, John Paul 3, survived his kidnapping in Italy in 1973, somewhen ransomed by his immensely wealthy family after months and months of grouse and negotiation. But he didn't get away without scars both physical and mental. The kidnappers, frustrated when Jean Paul Getty refused to pay their ransom demands, eventually cut off Paul III'southward ear and mailed it to the family. And the boyfriend never recovered from his ordeal.

As noted by Rolling Stone, initially he seemed to move on from the feel. He had surgery to reconstruct his ear, went back to school, got married and had a son (Balthazar, who became a successful actor). Merely all the while he sank further and further into a serious drug addiction, which led to an overdose and a massive stroke in 1981, when he was just 24-years-old.

Forbes reports that the stroke left Paul Three paralyzed, unable to speak, and nigh bullheaded. He lived another 30 years in a wheelchair, cared for by his mother. According to People, he refused to allow his health cease him from living his life, and did everything he could to remain active, including having a special wheelchair designed that allowed him to get skiing.

The family fought bitterly over the money

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Despite the corrosive effect the Getty fortune had on everyone, when Jean Paul Getty died in 1976 everyone saddled upwards for an epic war over the money.

Jean Paul Getty left the majority of his fortune to the J. Paul Getty Museum in California, just that didn't leave his children penniless. As Forbes notes, the family'southward personal fortune stemmed from a trust that Paul's female parent had set up in the 1930s—a trust that controlled about 40 percent of the Getty Oil business organisation. The sole trustee was Paul's son Gordon, who took command of the business and sold it to Texaco in 1984 for more than $x billion. Gordon and then opened upwards the family trust and used it to pay off the taxes accrued on the Texaco deal, and so paid his brother and nieces $750 one thousand thousand each—leaving most of the residual of the family unit out. Co-ordinate to the Los Angeles Times, for example, his brother Jean was stuck with just $3,000 a year from the trust.

Lawsuits were fired off, but the residuum of the family was hampered by the fact that the trust's terms had been set for decades, and yet no one had tried to modify them. Jean argued his father had verbally committed to changing the terms of his will to brand things more than equitable simply couldn't prove it—and so the suits failed to change the outcome.

Gordon Getty had a secret 2nd family

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Conspicuous consumption is one fashion to let the world know you're incredibly wealthy. That's why so many rich people have multiple cars, houses, and more wearing apparel than they can possibly wear. When you're actually rich you have at to the lowest degree ii of everything—including families.

At least, that's what Gordon Getty seemed to call back. As Forbes notes, Gordon was considered to be one of the least controversial of the Getty children. He was a successful man of affairs and had garnered a reputation for philanthropy, using his money for good. So, as detailed by SFGATE, it was discovered in 1999 that Gordon Getty had fathered three daughters with a woman named Cynthia Beck. Cynthia and her daughters, Nicolette, Kendalle, and Alexandra, came to light when they sued to be considered role of the Getty estate. Gordon, to his credit, didn't try to deny it—he immediately best-selling the 14-year human relationship with Cynthia and his paternity of all three girls, and did non contest the legal move to modify the girls' terminal name to Getty.

Remarkably, Getty and his wife, Ann, remained married even afterwards the revelation Gordon had kept not just an affair merely a whole second family from her. The New York Times reports Ann passed away in September 2020.

John Paul Getty, Jr. was in and out of hospitals

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John Paul Getty, Jr. was regarded equally the heir apparent of the Getty empire. Later on marrying his first wife, Gail, and having four children with her, he left her for model and actress Talitha Politico. Talitha and Paul Jr. lived a wild life in Italy, taking lots of drugs and throwing parties that attracted the rich and famous from all over the world.

Talitha left Paul Jr. soon after their son was born in order to sober up and kick her heroin habit, merely returned to him in 1971. She died of an overdose shortly after. A few years later, his son John Paul Getty 3 was kidnapped in Italy and suffered terribly when his grandfather refused to pay the ransom. Paul Jr., who had been cast out of the family business concern by that indicate, had to infringe function of the ransom from his own father. His son was never the same, and suffered a drug-related stroke in 1981.

Every bit The Los Angeles Times reports, these tragedies left Paul Jr. depressed almost to the indicate of paralysis. Forbes reports that his years of drug addiction had severely impacted his health, leaving him with cirrhosis, circulatory bug, and trouble breathing. He checked himself into the London Clinic several times for these ailments and his depression. He found some peace later in life with his philanthropic work, giving away vast sums of his fortune for proficient causes, and died in 2003 at the historic period of 70.

John Paul Getty's grandson Andrew died immature

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The so-called "Getty Curse" extended beyond the first generation and continues to afflict the grandchildren of Jean Paul Getty. In 2015, his grandson Andrew was found dead in his domicile in Los Angeles at the age of 47—and the circumstances surrounding his demise were very mysterious.

For one, co-ordinate to People, Andrew had apparently been feeling sick for months simply hadn't done annihilation about information technology. He'd finally made an date with his doc, but died before he could make it. He was found half-dressed, lying on the floor between his bathroom and the hallway. For another, he was found by an ex-girlfriend named Lanessa DeJonge. Andrew had filed a restraining gild against Lanessa, all the same, and she wasn't supposed to be at his abode. The Washington Post reports the police force were called to Andrew's dwelling 31 times because of the epic fights the ii would get into.

Equally usual, the Getty Curse took the course of drug habit. After years of struggling with substance abuse, Andrew had claimed to be clean and sober for years. But the coroner eventually ruled his expiry was the result of an intestinal hemorrhage stemming from a haemorrhage ulcer—and a tragic overdose of methamphetamine.

Grandson John Gilbert Getty died young

The Getty family unit continues to suffer tragedies in the 21^st century. Every bit The Independent reports, just a few weeks later on his mother, Ann Getty, passed away of a heart attack, Jean Paul Getty'due south grandson and heir John Gilbert Getty was found dead in his hotel room in San Antonio. He was just 52-years-erstwhile. Gilbert was the next in line to inherit the family'southward fortune, still estimated to exist in the $five billion range.

Described as a "talented musician" by his family, Gilbert'due south body was institute by hotel staff when he missed the checkout fourth dimension. According to The Telegraph Republic of india, he had been staying in the luxury Hotel Emma for weeks, and was found in a common yoga pose known as the Lotus Pose, eyes and oral fissure open up. He had terminal contacted his assistant the solar day before, and there was no sign of struggle or foul play in the room. Although the results of an dissection oasis't been released, the constabulary stated at that place was no reason to doubtable foul play—but there are rumors that Gilbert had a substance corruption issue, and that a drug dealer'southward contact information was plant on his phone. Considering the family'southward long history of substance corruption problems, information technology's reasonable to think drugs had something to do with Gilbert'due south untimely death.

Balthazar Getty struggled

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There was a time in the 1990s when Balthazar Getty, son of John Paul Getty III, seemed poised to exist the adjacent big matter in Hollywood. At the age of 15, he starred in the 1990 adaptation of Lord of the Flies and appeared in a string of big productions, including Young Guns Ii, Natural Born Killers, and Lost Highway.

But as People reports, Balthazar struggled a corking deal in his youth. Anybody assumed he was incredibly rich—just his father had drifted away from the family unit in the wake of his 1973 kidnapping, when Balthazar's great-gramps Jean Paul Getty initially refused to pay the demanded ransom. Balthazar's family unit didn't have much when he was growing up. Balthazar admits that he "overcompensated" by living a wild life. He would become into fights and human action out in lodge to shed the undeserved "rich kid" image. He got married in 2000 and had four children—but so famously blew upwards his marriage when he had an thing with extra Sienna Miller. Co-ordinate to Marie Claire, Balthazar reconciled with his wife subsequently the thing concluded, and the two remain married to this 24-hour interval.

Like many of his relatives, Balthazar likewise struggled with drugs. He eventually dealt with his demons and reignited his interim career, working steadily on shows like Brothers and Sisters, Alias, and Twin Peaks.

The Gettys are portrayed as villains

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It comes with the territory: When you're an incredibly rich family with a long history of scandal, drug corruption, and other bad behaviors, you're going to be a target. Although their notoriety had declined later the expiry of patriarch Jean Paul Getty in 1976 and the subsequent auction of Getty Oil to Texaco in the early 1980s, in the terminal few years interest in the Getty family has spiked. This is in office due to the Ridley Scott picture All the Money in the Globe and the Danny Boyle mini-series Trust, both of which focused on the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty Iii.

But every bit The New York Times reports, the new generation of Gettys retrieve they're being treated unfairly. Instead of heartless, greedy rich people, Ariadne Getty and her children Nats and August insist they're progressive and philanthropic—and nothing at all like the wilder relatives. They point out that far from being stodgy, bourgeois, and money obsessed, both Nats and August are proudly gay, and support organizations like GLAAD.

In fact, far from a coin-obsessed monster, their mother Ariadne works hard for practiced causes. She pledged $15 million dollars to the LGBQT rights system in 2018. Ariadne also sits on the board of the Better World Fund, which endeavors to aid refugees and support gender equality around the world.

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