System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Sir J. Paul Getty Jr., American-born billionaire
September 07, 1932 - April 17, 2003
Being knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II March 1998
Sir J. Paul Getty Jr., American-born billionaire philanthropist and art lover, died April 17, 2003 at the age of 70. Getty was admitted to a London Hospital on Monday after complaining about serious chest pain. According to his Doctor Dr. John Goldstone, Getty suffered continuously with a recurring chest infection and it is believed to be the cause of death.
Getty earned his enormous fortune from his families privately owned oil company, which later was sold to Texaco for billions. He enjoyed helping those who need help the most. His charitable causes ranged from donating money to the National Art Gallery in London, to building grandiose mansions for poor and needy children. One time he felt sorry for a concert pianist because he did not have his own piano to practice with, he bought him a brand new baby grand. He also donated money to help rescue a family of seals that were stranded in a storm and who would have died had he not acted generously.
Getty was given the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1986 for his acts of charitable kindness. He had to renounce his American citizenship in order to accept this prestigious title. He eventually settled in England for the 25 years of his life because he loved the country and its people.
John Paul Getty Jr. was born Sept. 7, 1932, his father J. Paul Getty built Getty Oil into a $6 billion fortune, making him the richest man in the world in his day. John Paul after graduating from the University of San Francisco took control of Getty Oil in Rome. After a short while, John Paul resigned from the position because he felt unfulfilled. He tried to find fulfillment by pursuing a bohemian type of lifestyle where his abused drugs and partied on-stop. He became irresponsible and belligerent, he divorced his wife and abandoned his kids. By 1972 Getty moved to England and lived alone for years in a heavily secured mansion in London's upscale Chelsea neighborhood.
Getty, who was estranged from his father as well as the family business, did however receive a substantial inheritance after his father passed away. The sale of Getty Oil to Texaco in 1984 allegedly earned the Getty Family billions of dollars. It wasn’t until 1994 that Getty straitened out his life. He married Victoria Holdsworth, his longtime British girlfriend. She has been credited for helping Getty get his life back on track and supported him during his rehabilitation. Getty remained in good health right up until his death only suffering shortly with a chronic chest infection.
