J. Paul Getty

Jean Paul Getty Sr.
Born	(1892-12-15) December 15, 1892 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1976(1976-06-06) (aged 83)
Occupation(s)	Oil magnate, art collector
Known for	Founder of Getty Oil Company; patriarch of the Getty family; founder of the J. Paul Getty Trust

Jean Paul Getty Sr. (; December 15, 1892 – June 6, 1976) was a prominent American oil magnate who established the Getty Oil Company in 1942 and was the patriarch of the influential Getty family. Originating from Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was the son of oil industry pioneer George Getty. In 1957, Fortune recognized him as the richest living American, and by 1966, the Guinness Book of Records acknowledged him as the wealthiest private individual worldwide, with an estimated fortune of $1.2 billion (equivalent to roughly $ billion today). Upon his passing, his net worth had grown beyond $6 billion (approximately $ billion today). A 1996 assessment ranked him as the 67th richest American ever when measured against the nation’s economic output.

Getty became well-known for his extreme frugality, most famously demonstrated during negotiations with kidnappers in his grandson’s 1973 abduction case. He fathered five children and underwent five divorces. A passionate collector of art and antiquities, his collection laid the groundwork for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. He left more than $661 million to this museum. In 1953, he founded the J. Paul Getty Trust, which is now regarded as the wealthiest art institution globally and manages the Getty Center, Getty Villa, Getty Foundation, Getty Research Institute, and Getty Conservation Institute.

Background

Born in Minneapolis, Jean Paul Getty was the son of Sarah Catherine McPherson (Risher) and George Franklin Getty, a lawyer engaged in insurance. Raised in a Methodist household, his father practiced Christian Science devoutly, and both parents adhered to strict teetotalism. Jean Paul had partial Scottish heritage. When he was ten years old in 1903, his father acquired mineral rights covering 1,100 acres near Bartlesville, Oklahoma, prompting the family’s relocation to that area. While attending Garfield School there, oil wells on their property began producing approximately 100,000 barrels of crude oil each month.

After becoming millionaires through these oil discoveries, the Getty family moved to Los Angeles, though Jean Paul later returned to Oklahoma. At age fourteen, he spent a year at Harvard Military School, followed by studies at Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, Los Angeles. He mastered French, German, and Italian fluently and gained conversational skills in Spanish, Greek, Arabic, and Russian. His enthusiasm for classical studies led him to become proficient in both ancient Greek and Latin.

Getty attended the University of California, Berkeley but did not graduate. In 1910, after extensive travels across Europe with his parents, he enrolled at the University of Oxford in November 1912. A letter of introduction from U.S. President William Howard Taft secured private tutors for him at Magdalen College. Though not formally registered as a student there, he socialized with aristocratic peers including future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom. In June 1913, he earned a diploma in economics and political science from Oxford before journeying through Europe and Egypt. He returned to America with his parents in June 1914.

Career

In the fall of 1914, George Getty provided his son with $10,000 to expand their Oklahoma oil interests. The first acquisition was the Nancy Taylor No. 1 Oil Well Site near Haskell, Oklahoma, which struck oil by August 1915. By summer of the following year, a net royalty of 40% from this well had made Jean Paul Getty a millionaire.

By 1919, Getty had resumed operations in Oklahoma and accumulated roughly $3 million throughout the 1920s. Due to familial disputes, when his father passed in 1930 he inherited only $500,000 out of a $10 million estate and received one-third ownership of George Getty Inc., while his mother retained controlling two-thirds. In 1936 she assisted in creating the $3.3 million Sarah C. Getty Trust designed to provide tax-exempt income for future generations and supply Jean Paul with funds for purchasing stock in Tidewater Petroleum.

During the Great Depression, Getty purchased Pacific Western Oil Corporation and initiated acquisitions of Mission Corporation—which included assets like Tidewater Oil and Skelly Oil—finalizing this by 1953. These holdings merged into Getty Oil by 1967. Between 1948 and 1949, he paid Ibn Saud $9.5 million upfront along with an annual guarantee of $1 million plus royalties amounting to 55 cents per barrel for rights in Saudi Arabia’s Neutral Zone—an amount approximately two-and-a-half times higher than what other major oil companies paid at that time. The discovery of oil there in March 1953 produced about 16 million barrels annually and significantly enhanced Getty’s wealth.

Getty’s fluency in Arabic and substantial fortune enabled extensive expansion throughout the Middle East. His business empire encompassed nearly 200 companies including Getty Oil, George F. Getty Inc., Pacific Western Oil Corporation, Mission Corporation, Tidewater Oil, Skelly Oil, Mexican Seaboard Oil, Petroleum Corporation of America; as well as Spartan Aircraft Company and Spartan Cafeteria Company; Minnehoma Insurance and Financial Companies; plus luxury real estate such as New York’s Pierre Hotel; Pierre Marques Hotel in Mexico; an historic Roman palace; a Malibu ranch residence; and Sutton Place mansion near Guildford in Surrey.

Art collection

Getty’s passion for collecting began in the late 1930s, influenced by the 18th-century French art and furnishings owned by Amy Guest, who leased him a penthouse in New York. Enthralled by French art from the 1700s, he took advantage of a depressed market to purchase furniture at bargain prices and authored several books on collecting, such as Europe and the 18th Century (1949) and The Joys of Collecting (1965). His thriftiness constrained his acquisitions; Penelope Kitson, his companion, observed he was "too mean ever to buy a great painting." Upon his passing, Getty’s collection comprised over 600 artworks valued at more than $4 million, including masterpieces by Rubens, Titian, Gainsborough, Renoir, Degas, and Monet. Dissatisfied with how his early donations were exhibited at the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art, Getty withheld further gifts. This led Edward W. Carter to spearhead fundraising efforts for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In the 1950s, Getty redirected his collecting interests toward Greco-Roman sculptures, which eventually resulted in establishing the Getty Villa during the 1970s to showcase this collection. After his death, these artifacts were transferred to both the Getty Museum and Villa.

Marriages, divorces and children

Getty’s numerous romantic involvements caused concern within his conservative family circle. His attorney Robina Lund commented on his difficulty in declining women’s advances. At age 25 in 1917, Elsie Eckstrom initiated a paternity lawsuit alleging Getty fathered her daughter; he settled the claim for $10,000.

He entered into five marriages and divorces, fathering five sons with four different wives:

1. Jeanette Demont (1923–1926); one son named George F. Getty II (1924–1973).
2. Allene Ashby (1926–1928); no offspring. They eloped while he was still married to Jeanette; this union was later annulled.
3. Adolphine Helmle (1928–1932); one son, Jean Ronald Getty (1929–2009). The couple eloped in Vienna; after Getty lost interest, Adolphine returned to Germany with their son following a bitter divorce.
4. Ann Rork Light (1932–1936); two sons: John Paul Getty Jr. (1932–2003) and Gordon Peter Getty (born 1933). Their marriage ended amid accusations of neglect and emotional mistreatment.
5. Louise Dudley "Teddy" Lynch (1939–1958); one son named Timothy Ware Getty (1946–1958).

In 2013, Teddy Getty Gaston published a memoir recounting Getty’s reluctance to cover medical costs for their blind son Timmy, who died at age 12. Getty resided separately in England and did not attend Timmy’s funeral. Gaston passed away in 2017 at age 103.

Getty once remarked, "A lasting relationship with a woman is only possible if you are a business failure," expressing remorse over his unsuccessful marriages despite his vast wealth.

Kidnapping of grandson John Paul Getty III

On July 10, 1973, in Rome, members of the 'Ndrangheta' abducted Getty’s 16-year-old grandson, John Paul Getty III, demanding a ransom of $17 million (equivalent to $ in ) for his release. Initially, the family suspected the teenager was orchestrating a scheme to extort money from his notoriously frugal grandfather. John Paul Getty Jr. approached his father for funds but was denied out of concern that paying would put the other thirteen grandchildren at risk. In November 1973—after delays caused by a postal strike—an envelope containing a lock of hair and a severed human ear arrived at a newspaper office alongside a $3.2 million ransom demand. The kidnappers threatened further mutilation if their demands were not met.

When the ransom was lowered to $3 million, Getty agreed to pay only $2.2 million (equivalent to $ in ), which was the maximum amount deductible for tax purposes; he lent the remaining sum to his son at interest. John Paul Getty III was discovered alive on December 15, 1973, at a gas station in Lauria, shortly after the ransom payment. Following his release, Getty III called to thank his grandfather; however, Getty declined to engage in conversation. Authorities arrested nine individuals connected to 'Ndrangheta; two were convicted.

The kidnapping had lasting consequences for Getty III; in 1981 he suffered a stroke related to substance abuse that left him mute, nearly blind, and partially paralyzed until his death in 2011 at age 54.

Getty defended his initial refusal to pay on two grounds: protecting other grandchildren from becoming targets and opposing yielding to criminals so as not to encourage lawlessness and terrorism. Among those apprehended were prominent 'Ndrangheta figures Girolamo Piromalli and Saverio Mammoliti. Only two kidnappers received convictions; most of the ransom money was never recovered.

Reputation for frugality

Getty's extreme economy became the subject of many stories, often surprising given his vast fortune. For instance, he was hesitant to pay the ransom demanded for his kidnapped grandson and installed a coin-operated telephone at Sutton Place. His fifth wife recounted how he reprimanded her for expenses related to their terminally ill son's treatment, despite his net worth being in the tens of millions at that time. Getty was notorious for negotiating hard when purchasing luxury accommodations, artwork, and real estate. In 1959, he acquired Sutton Place, a 72-room estate, for £60,000—approximately half its value four decades earlier.

• According to his secretary, Getty washed his own clothes by hand to cut costs; when shirts showed wear at the cuffs, he simply trimmed them rather than buying replacements.
• He extensively reused stationery, often replying in margins or on the reverse side of letters, and conserved envelopes, rubber bands, and other office materials.
• At a dog show in London, he made acquaintances wait for reduced-price tickets instead of paying full admission.
• One reason for relocating to Sutton Place was the lower living expenses compared to London's Ritz Hotel; Getty once boasted that a rum and coke cost him just 10 cents there versus more than a dollar at the Ritz.
• He regularly drove himself to his workplace.

Author John Pearson attributed Getty’s thriftiness partly to his Methodist background, which emphasized simplicity and careful spending. Additionally, Getty’s business philosophy influenced his frugal habits: he avoided purchases unless confident they would increase in value. He described his stinginess as a reaction to previous exploitation: "It's not the money I object to, it's the principle of the thing that bothers me."

Coin-box telephone

To reinforce his image as a tightwad, Getty installed a pay phone at Sutton Place. He locked the dials on standard telephones so only authorized personnel could use them, while visitors had access to the coin-operated phone. In his autobiography, Getty explained this was due to excessive long-distance calls made by guests charged to Sutton Place. After about 18 months, as visitor numbers declined, the pay phone was removed and dial locks were deactivated.

Later years and death

On June 30, 1960, Getty held a combined 21st birthday and housewarming celebration at Sutton Place that descended into disorder when uninvited guests caused around £20,000 worth of damage. A valuable silver ewer was stolen but later returned anonymously. This incident tarnished Getty’s social reputation and he refrained from hosting large parties thereafter. Nevertheless, he remained intensely devoted to work, frequently putting in 16 to 18-hour days overseeing his international enterprises. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War oil crisis, Getty Oil’s stock value quadrupled, with Getty himself earning $25.8 million in 1975.

From the 1950s onward, Getty developed a close professional connection with English interior designer Penelope Kitson; she decorated both his residences and oil tankers and resided on Sutton Place grounds starting in 1960. Their relationship was strictly professional but characterized by mutual respect and trust.

Well into his eighties, Getty maintained an active personal life aided by an experimental medication intended to sustain virility. His romantic partners included Mary Teissier, Lady Ursula d'Abo, and Rosabella Burch. According to The New York Times, Getty spent his final years surrounded by several women living at Sutton Place but often revised his will to reduce their inheritances. The only significant beneficiary was Kitson, who received 5,000 shares of Getty Oil—which doubled in value during the 1980s—and a monthly stipend of $1,167.

Getty passed away from heart failure on June 6, 1976, at age 83 at Sutton Place.

Media representations

In the 1991 film Life Stinks directed by Mel Brooks, Rudy De Luca took on the role of Getty. The movie features Brooks as a real estate magnate who wagers that he can survive as a homeless individual for an entire month. Within the story, a homeless man repeatedly claims to be Getty, though it remains ambiguous whether this figure truly embodies him. The character is credited as "J. Paul Getty".

The 2017 movie All the Money in the World, which centers on the abduction of Getty’s grandson, initially cast Kevin Spacey as Getty. However, following allegations of misconduct, Christopher Plummer replaced Spacey and received an Academy Award nomination for his performance. The kidnapping event is also portrayed in the first season of the television series Trust, where Donald Sutherland assumes the role of Getty.

Famous sayings

One notable quotation attributed to J. Paul Getty appears in the eighth edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations: "If you can actually count your money, then you are not really a rich man."

Authored publications

• Getty, J. Paul. The history of the bigger oil business of George F.S. F. and J. Paul Getty from 1903 to 1939. Los Angeles?, 1941
• Getty, J. Paul. Europe in the Eighteenth Century. Santa Monica, Calif., 1949
• Le Vane, Ethel, and J. Paul Getty. Collector's Choice: The Chronicle of an Artistic Odyssey through Europe. London: W.H. Allen, 1955
• Getty, J. Paul. My Life and Fortunes. New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1963
• Getty, J. Paul. The Joys of Collecting. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1965
• Getty, J. Paul. How to be Rich. Chicago: Playboy Press, 1965
• Getty, J. Paul. The Golden Age. New York: Trident Press, 1968
• Getty, J. Paul. How to be a Successful Executive. Chicago: Playboy Press, 1971
• Getty, J. Paul. As I See It: The Autobiography of J. Paul Getty. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1976

Related topics

• List of richest Americans in history

Further reading

• Hewins, Ralph. The Richest American: J. Paul Getty. New York: Dutton, 1960.
• Lund, Robina. The Getty I Knew. Kansas City: Sheed Andrews and McMeel, 1977. .
• Miller, Russell. The House of Getty. New York: Henry Holt, 1985. .
• de Chair, Somerset Struben. Getty on Getty: a man in a billion. London: Cassell, 1989. .
• Pearson, John. Painfully Rich: J. Paul Getty and His Heirs. London: Macmillan, 1995. .
• Wooster, Martin Morse. Philanthropy Hall of Fame, J. Paul Getty. philanthropyroundtable.org.

External resources

• J. Paul Getty diaries, 1938–1946, 1948–1976 finding aid at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles
• J. Paul Getty family collected papers, 1880s–1989 (bulk 1911–1977) finding aid at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles
• J. Paul Getty and Ashby sisters papers, 1926–1992, finding aid at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles