THE Getty family is one of America's richest families thanks to their involvement with the oil industry.
What started with George Franklin Getty and his son John Paul Getty has since grown into a 28 member dynasty spanning several generations.
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What is the Getty family's net worth?
In 2015, the Getty’s had an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion (£3.7 billion), according to Forbes, and were listed as the No. 56 richest families in America before dropping off the list the following year.
The family made their vast fortune in American oil, but have also lent their name to a photo agency, a research institute and a museum.
Despite their massive wealth the family has been plagued by tragedies over the years.
John Gilbert Getty was due to inherit the family fortune before his sudden death on November 20, 2020, following complications from an accidental drug overdose.
Who are the members of the Getty family?
The Getty family consists of:
George Getty
Patriarch George Getty (1855-1930) was born in Maryland and studied to become a lawyer.
After the death of his first child with his wife, Sarah, the couple went on to have a son, John Paul, born in 1892.
In 1904 George embarked on a career in the oil industry, and within two years his Minnehoma Oil Company was a success.
George Getty lent his only son and heir, John Paul money to invest in oil wells.
By 1915 J. Paul had made his first million.
The father and son combined their companies to form Getty Oil Company, and later Getty Oil.
George Getty cut a stern, disapproving figure.
On his deathbed, he refused to leave son J. Paul in sole charge of their company.
Instead, he placed his his wife, Sarah at the helm and appointed his son the president of the firm.
J. Paul Getty
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John Paul Getty - later known as J. Paul - would go on to solidify the Getty fortune.
A notoriously demanding character, J. Paul Getty was married - and divorced - five times and had five sons.
J. Paul Getty was incredibly well-educated and fluent in French, German and Italian, as well as conversational in Spanish, Greek, Arabic and Russian.
He studied at both Berkeley and the University of Oxford before turning his eyes to the family business.
He grew the business rapidly, expanding his family’s oil business into the Middle East with spectacular success.
In 1957 he was named by Fortune magazine as the richest living American, and in 1966 the Guinness Book of Records named him as the world’s richest private citizen, with an estimated worth of $1.2 billion (£841.3million).
But despite his vast wealth, Getty was infamously frugal.
He shocked the world by refusing to pay his grandson’s ransom after he was kidnapped in 1973 in Italy.
At the time he said: "I have 14 other grandchildren. If I pay one penny, I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren."
Only after the kidnappers’ cut off his grandson’s ear, did J. Paul Getty agree the $2.9million ransom.
An avid collector, his penchant for antiquities and art was later displayed in the J. Paul Getty Museum, in LA, and he left around $66million (£463.3million) to the museum after his death.
At the time of his death, in 1976, he is thought to have been worth $6billion (£4.2billion).
John Gilbert Getty
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John Gilbert Getty was the heir to the $5billion Getty fortune - and father to Ivy Love Getty.
The 52-year-old was found dead in a hotel in San Antonio, Texas on November 20, 2020.
John Gilbert was the grandson of tycoon J. Paul Getty and son to Gordon Getty.
The family released a statement that said: "With a heavy heart, Gordon Getty announces the death of his son, John Gilbert Getty.
"John leaves behind his daughter, Ivy Getty, whom he loved beyond measure, and his brothers Peter and Billy. His brother, Andrew, predeceased John. John's mother, Ann Gilbert Getty, passed this September
"John was a talented musician who loved rock and roll. He will be deeply missed."
Ivy Love Getty
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Ivy Love is John Gilbert Getty's daughter and is known as an artist and model.
After the tragic news of her father's death, the 26-year-old paid a touching tribute to him on social media, writing: "My father was awesome- coolest man to ever land on this planet and I will forever be the proudest daughter.
"Love you so much Dad….life is cruel sometimes…. I have not one, but two guardian angels watching over me now."
She accompanied the post with a thread of heartwarming snaps of her and her late dad.
Ivy shares her dad's love of art and music.
She wrote: "He was an absolute beast at any instrument but his favorite was guitar.
"He held all the chords totally different that anyone else because he taught himself."
In November 2021, almost one year after her father's death, the model married photographer Tobias Alexander Engel in a San Francisco ceremony that was officiated by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Gordon Getty
Born in 1933, Gordon, 87, is the fourth son of J. Paul Getty and dad to John Gilbert Getty and six other children.
Gordon is known as a composer, investor and philanthropist.
After J. Paul Getty’s death in 1976, Gordon assumed control of Getty’s $3billion (£2.1billion) trust.
According to Forbes 400, in September 2011 his net worth was $2billion (£1.4billion), ranking him number 212 on the list of wealthy Americans.
He is also the father of six children, two who have died from tragic circ*mstances
His son Andrew, died aged just 47 in 2015 of intestinal bleeding.
John Gilbert, heir to the Getty fortune, died on November 20, 2020.
John Paul Getty Jr.
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Out of J. Paul's five children, John Paul Getty Jr. (1932-2003) is one of the most well known.
During his life he was one of the richest men in the world.
Like his father, he also had five children: two boys and three girls.
John Paul Getty Jr was married twice and had close ties with the UK.
In 1986 he was awarded an honorary knighthood and became Sir John Paul Getty, for services ranging from art to the Conservative party.
He became a British citizen in 1997 and later died at the age of 70 in April 17, 2003.
Mark Getty
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J.Paul's youngest son Mark, 61, was born in 1960, and is the founder of Getty Images, a global photo agency.
He was awarded an honorary knighthood in 2015 for services to arts and philanthropy.
He is a regular name in the Sunday Times Rich List.
John Paul Getty III
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John Paul Getty III was known as the grandson of J. Paul Getty.
In 1973, when he was only 16-years-old, he was kidnapped while living in Rome by the 'Ndrangheta and held for a $17 million ransom.
The cash-tight teenager had previously toyed with the idea of staging a kidnapping to extract funds from his rich grandfather so when a ransom note was received for $17million (£11.9million), some family members thought it a ploy.
As the months dragged on, it was clear John's kidnap was real and as a result, hiscaptors cut off his ear and sent it, along with a piece of his hair to the Getty family, reissuing their demands.
Despite being one of the richest men in the world J. Paul Getty’s infamously refused to pay up.
Eventually, he caved caved to the kidnappers and agreed to their $2.9million (£2million) ransom.
Following John Paul Getty III's release, his life was plagued with addiction problems.
He later suffered a stroke which left him quadriplegic, partially blind, and unable to speak, and he was severely handicapped for the rest of his life.
He was cared for by his mother, Abigail Harris, until his death in 2011 aged 54.
John Paul Getty III's harrowing ordeal was made into a TV drama called Trust in 2018.
Balthazar Getty
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John Paul Getty III had one son, actor Balthazar Getty, 46, born in 1975.
Balthazar has appeared in films such as Lord of the Flies and Judge Dredd, and in TV shows such as Twin Peaks and Hawaii Five-O.
The married father-of-four is also a musician and is in a band called Ringside.
Late John Gilbert Getty plays guitar in rare clip shared by his daughter Ivy Getty
