Troubled grandson of J. Paul Getty dies at 54

Troubled grandson of J. Paul Getty dies at 54

LONDON – Great wealth became his great curse, consigning him to a life that seems to have been almost over before it truly started.

J. Paul Getty III, born into one of the world's richest oil families, was a kidnap victim at 16, and coldly mutilated by his captors after his cash-rich family stalled on paying ransom.

Once freed from his five-month ordeal, the traumatized teenager — grandson of the founder of Getty Oil — embraced the hippie counterculture that flowered in the late 1960s and early 1970s, turning his back on his family's capitalistic roots in favor of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

J. Paul Getty III cut a dashing figure, with tight jeans, open shirts and long flowing hair — resembling at times a young Mick Jagger. At 17, he quickly took a bride and soon had a child of his own, but Getty soon fell victim once again, this time succumbing to his own youthful excess, suffering a devastating stroke in his 20s after becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol.

Getty never recovered, spending the rest of his life severely impaired in a wheelchair. He died Saturday at his country estate in Buckinghamshire northwest of London, his son, the actor Balthazar Getty, said in a statement.

The cause of death was not disclosed, but Getty had been gravely ill for some time.

His son, a successful TV and movie actor, said his father "never let his handicap keep him from living life to the fullest and he was an inspiration to all of us, showing us how to stand up to all adversity."

But Balthazar Getty's kind words about his father's death could not mask the terrible price the family has paid for its history of drug-related problems. J. Paul Getty III's own father struggled with a well-publicized drug addiction and his stepmother died from a drug overdose.

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Complete entertainment coverageHis life captured the turmoil of his times. Born in November 1956 — on either the 4th or the 5th, it's not clear — to vast oil wealth counted in the billions of dollars, Getty's life was upended when he was kidnapped in Rome in 1973. He was a tempting target because of his family's huge wealth — his grandfather was often said to be one of the world's first billionaires.

At the time of his snatching, Getty was known as the "golden hippy," a reddish-blond oil magnate's grandson who hung out with young leftists and counter-culture types in Rome's Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori and Piazza Farnese.

At first, some thought the kidnapping was staged to extract money from the grandfather. Friends at that time said the youngster had actually joked about such a tactic.

His mother, American actress Gail Harris, called journalists to her home one evening in the upscale Parioli section of Rome to announce the family had received a ransom demand of $17 million.

Getty's grandfather refused to pay. He was quoted as saying that he had 14 grandchildren "and if I pay for one, then I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren."

But his will was broken when a Rome newspaper received a plastic envelope with a severed ear inside and a warning that another would follow if the family didn't pay.

The teenager, missing an ear, was released after five months, found wandering on a country road in Italy's southern Calabria. He was freed for a reported ransom of $2.7 million — far less than the kidnappers' original demands.

Several people were eventually convicted and sentenced to prison. Prosecutors blamed the Calabrian mob. Most of the ransom money was never recovered.

Once freed from his ordeal, Getty enthusiastically embraced a life of drugs and parties, becoming a well-known member of the hippie subculture. He soon developed the drug and alcohol habits that would eventually lead to his destruction.

He did not speak out in public and was not really a celebrity, but the fact that a grandson of the oil tycoon had embraced the flower power ethos did not go unnoticed.

Photographs told his story well. Within months of his release, he was pictured with a striking young brunette — her hair was shorter than his — who would in 1974 become his wife. She was known as Gisela Zacher or Martine Zacher, and their union produced a son, Balthazar. She was several years older than he and already had a daughter, Anna.

While undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse in 1981, Getty suffered a life-altering stroke that left him paralyzed, unable to speak and in need of around-the-clock care. Newspaper reports indicated the stroke was drug related, but details were not released. Gisela sued two drug companies, claiming sedatives prescribed to treat a severe and debilitating medical condition caused Getty's permanent brain damage. The couple later divorced.

Getty was rarely seen in public after the stroke, and soon drifted from the public consciousness as well even as his family name became associated with global philanthropy and the arts.

The family rose to global prominence with the unprecedented success of his grandfather, J. Paul Getty, who built Getty Oil into a $6 billion fortune — making him one of the world's richest men in his day. J. Paul Getty was known for his tightfisted approach, reportedly installing a pay telephone in one of his homes so that family and friends would not be able to place long distance calls at his expense.

He also built one of the world's great art collections, which formed the basis of the J. Paul Getty Museum — a cultural centerpiece in the Los Angeles area.

His son, the late John Paul Getty Jr., made charitable donations that totaled more than $200 million in Britain alone, to causes related to everything from cricket to needy children.

But this charitable generosity did not extend to his own family — the reclusive multimillionaire initially refused to pay for his son's steep monthly medical bills, agreeing to do so only in the face of a lawsuit from his first wife, Harris, with whom he had three other children.

Getty is survived by his two children, Balthazar and stepdaughter Anna, and six grandchildren. He is also survived by his mother, Harris, and four younger siblings: Getty Images co-founder Mark Getty, prominent AIDS activist Aileen Getty, Ariadne Getty and his half-brother Tara Getty.

Balthazar Getty has starred in film and TV productions and is currently appearing on the ABC network drama "Brothers & Sisters."

so much and yet so little

KK wrote:

so much and yet so little

reminds me of the Real Housewives shows

I cant imagine how much being kidnapped and held for months would effect a persons life...