| John Paul Getty III | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 November 1956 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | 5 February 2011 (aged 54) Wormsley, Buckinghamshire, England, UK |
| Nationality | United States (birth) Ireland (acquired) |
| Known for | Being kidnapped |
| Spouse | Gisela Getty (1974-93; divorced)[1] |
| Children | Balthazar Getty |
| Parents | Paul Getty (deceased) Abigail Harris |
| Relatives | Jean Paul Getty (grandfather, deceased) George Getty (great-grandfather) Gordon Getty (uncle) Mark Getty (brother) |
Jean Paul Getty III (4 November 1956[1] — 5 February 2011),[2] also known as Paul Getty, was the eldest of the four children of John Paul Getty, Jr. and Abigail (née Harris), and the grandson of oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty. His son is actor Balthazar Getty.
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Getty spent most of his childhood in Rome as his father was the head of the Italian section of the Getty family's oil business. His parents divorced in 1964; his father subsequently married Talitha Pol[1] and spent much time in England and Morocco during the 1960s.
In early 1971, he was expelled from St. George's English School (later St. George's British International School), in Rome, Italy. His father moved back to England, and at 3am on 10 July 1973, Getty was kidnapped in the Piazza Farnese in Rome.[1] A ransom note was received, demanding $17 million in exchange for his safe return. When that ransom message arrived, some family members suspected the kidnapping was merely a ploy by the rebellious youngster as he had frequently joked about staging his own kidnapping to extract money from his frugal grandfather. He was blindfolded and imprisoned in a mountain hideout. A second demand was received, but had been delayed by an Italian postal strike.[3] Jean Paul Getty II asked his father for the money, but was refused. Getty Sr. argued that were he to pay the ransom, then his 14 other grandchildren could likely be kidnapped as well. In November 1973, an envelope containing a lock of hair and a human ear was delivered to a daily newspaper with a threat of further mutilation of Paul, unless $3.2 million was paid: "This is Paul's ear. If we don't get some money within 10 days, then the other ear will arrive. In other words, he will arrive in little bits."[4]
At this point Getty Sr. agreed to pay a ransom, although he would only pay $2.2 million because that was the maximum amount that was tax deductible. He loaned the remainder to his son who was responsible for repaying the sum at 4% interest.[3] The reluctant Getty Sr. negotiated a deal and got his grandson back for about $2.9 million. Getty III was found alive in southern Italy on 15 December 1973, shortly after the ransom was paid.[5]
Nine of the kidnappers were apprehended: a carpenter, a hospital orderly, an ex-con and an olive-oil dealer from Calabria, as well as high-ranking members of the 'Ndrangheta – a Mafia-type organization in Calabria – such as Girolamo Piromalli and Saverio Mammoliti.[5] Two were convicted and sent to prison; the others, including the 'Ndrangheta bosses, were acquitted for lack of evidence. Most of the ransom money was never recovered.[6][7]
In 1977, Getty had an operation to rebuild the ear that had been cut off by his kidnappers.[1]
A. J. Quinnell used Getty's kidnapping as one piece of inspiration for his book Man on Fire.[8]
In 1974, Getty married a German citizen, Martine Zacher (née Schmidt), who was 5 months pregnant. He had known her and her twin sister Jutta before his kidnapping. Getty was 19 years old when his son, Balthazar, was born. The couple divorced in 1993.[1]
Getty was an alcoholic and drug addict. In 1981, taking a cocktail of valium, methadone and alcohol resulted in liver failure and a stroke which left Getty quadriplegic and nearly blind.[9]
In 1999, Getty, along with several other members of his family, became citizens of the Republic of Ireland in return for investments in Ireland of approximately £1 million each, under a law which has since been repealed.
On 5 February 2011, aged 54, Getty died at Wormsley, Buckinghamshire following a long illness. He had been in poor health since his 1981 drug overdose.[1][2] He is survived by his son,[1] his daughter, and his mother.