John Paul Getty Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
Paul Getty
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| Born |
Eugene Paul Getty
7 September 1932 near Genoa, Kingdom of Italy
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| Died | 17 April 2003 (aged 70) Westminster, London, England
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| Citizenship | British, American |
| Education | St. Ignatius College Preparatory |
| Alma mater | University of San Francisco |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 5, including John III, Mark and Ariadne |
| Parents |
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| Family | Getty |
Sir Paul Getty (born Eugene Paul Getty; September 7, 1932 – April 17, 2003) was a very generous person who gave a lot of money to good causes. He was also a big fan of collecting books. Many people knew him as John Paul Getty Jr.. He was one of five sons of J. Paul Getty, who was one of the richest people in the world because of his family's oil business.
Paul Getty Jr. was born with the name Eugene Paul Getty. Later in his life, he used other names like Paul Getty and John Paul Getty Jr. In 1973, his son, John Paul Getty III, was kidnapped in Italy. His grandfather, J. Paul Getty, at first refused to pay the ransom. In 1986, Paul Getty Jr. was given an honorary knighthood for helping many different causes. These included cricket, art, and even a political party. He loved England very much and became a British citizen in 1997. After that, his knighthood became official, and he could use the title "Sir". In 1998, he officially changed his name to Sir Paul Getty.
Contents
Early Life and Family
John Paul Jr. was born on a ship near Genoa, Italy, on September 7, 1932. His parents, Ann and J. Paul Getty, were traveling at the time. When his birth was registered in Italy, the notary misheard his name. So, he was first registered as Eugenio Paul Getty. He later officially changed his name to John Paul in 1958.
He grew up in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. His parents' marriage was difficult because his father was often away. His mother divorced his father in 1936. She received money each month to help raise Paul Jr. and his brother, Gordon Getty.
In 1938, his mother married again, and the family moved to San Francisco. Paul Jr. went to St. Ignatius College Preparatory and the University of San Francisco. He loved reading and music, and his mother encouraged these interests. In 1950, he joined the military during the Korean War. He worked at the American headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.
After the war, he met Abigail Harris. She was the daughter of an important judge. They got married in early 1956. Their first child, John Paul Getty III, was born in November 1956. The next year, he asked his brother, Gordon, for a job. Gordon was a vice-president at a Getty company. Paul Jr. started by pumping gas at a gas station. After a year, his father, whom he had not seen in 12 years, was impressed. His father invited Paul Jr. and his family to Paris, France. There, his father offered him a job as the president of Getty Oil's Italian company in Rome, Italy.
Marriages and Children
Paul Getty Jr.'s first wife was Abigail "Gail" Harris. They divorced in 1964. They had four children together: John Paul Getty III, Mark Getty, Ariadne Getty, and Aileen Getty.
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His second wife was Talitha Pol, an actress and model from the Netherlands. They married on December 10, 1966. They took a famous photo together on a rooftop in Marrakesh, Morocco, in January 1969. This photo was taken by Patrick Lichfield. It shows Talitha Getty leaning on a wall, and her husband in the background wearing a hooded robe and sunglasses. This picture was shown in American Vogue magazine. It is now part of the collection at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Talitha died on July 11, 1971. She had one son with Paul Getty Jr., named Tara Gabriel Gramophone Galaxy Getty, who was born in June 1968. Tara later became a conservationist in Africa.
In 1994, Paul Getty Jr. married for the third time to Victoria Holdsworth.
Later Life and Interests
After his father passed away in 1976, Paul Getty Jr. went through a difficult time. In 1984, he went to The London Clinic for help. While he was there, Margaret Thatcher, who was the Prime Minister at the time, visited him. She thanked him for his large donations to the National Gallery. In the 1970s, when he was feeling down, a former England cricketer named Gubby Allen cheered him up. Paul Getty Jr. had been introduced to cricket by Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones.
Wormsley Park Estate
While he was at The London Clinic for nine months, Paul Getty Jr. bought an old country estate called Wormsley Park in Buckinghamshire, England. His friend Christopher Gibbs suggested it. After he left the clinic in March 1986, he spent a lot of time fixing up the old mansion. He also restored the 3,000 acres of parkland.
He created a deer park and replanted 1,500 acres of beechwood forest. He also dug a large, man-made lake. He restored the old Georgian mansion. He added a castle-like building made of local stone to hold his huge library. He also built an indoor heated pool and a copy of The Oval cricket ground. For his son, who had a disability, he built an accessible cottage near the pool. This allowed his son to do water exercises. This big project took six years and cost about £60 million.
At Wormsley, Getty invited his family, whom he had not been close to. He improved his relationships with his children and his ex-wife. To open his professional cricket ground, Getty hosted a match in May 1992. Famous cricketers like Imran Khan played. The Prime Minister, John Major, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother were special guests. His own cricket team included famous players from the past and present.
Philanthropy and Legacy
Paul Getty Jr. gave more than £140 million to support art and culture. The National Gallery alone received £50 million from him. In 1987, he was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). However, because he was not a British citizen, he could not use the title "Sir" yet. In December 1997, Getty became a British citizen and gave up his American citizenship. It is said that The Queen commented, "Now you can use your title. Isn't that nice?"
Getty was also the president of the Surrey County Cricket Club. He gave money to Lord's Cricket Ground to build a new stand. He combined his love for cricket and books by buying Wisden, a famous publisher of cricket books. Getty built an amazing library at Wormsley. He collected very rare books, like a first edition of Chaucer and copies of Shakespeare's plays. He was a special member of the Roxburghe Club, which is famous among book collectors.
His personal fortune was estimated at £1.6 billion. He gave money to many places, including the British Museum, the British Film Institute, and several cathedrals. Some of his donations helped places like The National Galleries of Scotland buy important artworks. In June 2001, Getty gave £5 million to the Conservative Party. He also set up a £20 million trust to support arts, conservation, and social welfare.
Death
Sir Paul Getty passed away at the age of 70 on April 17, 2003. He had been admitted to The London Clinic for a chest infection.
Media Portrayals
Paul Getty Jr. has been shown in movies and TV shows. He is played by Andrew Buchan in the film All the Money in the World. He is also played by Michael Esper in the TV series Trust. Both of these stories tell about the kidnapping of his son, John Paul Getty III.
