JOHN PAUL GETTY JROne tragedy after another seemed to dog thelife of John Paul Getty Jnr, before his death on 17 April 2003, aged 70.Being born the third son of the world’sfirst oil billionaire did not ensure happiness for the man who spiralled intodrug addiction and became a virtual recluse.Over the years he saw the death of hissecond wife Talitha and the kidnap of his son.However, his personal problems did not haltthe Californian-born philanthropist from giving away £200m to causes in hisbeloved Britain,where he received an honorary knighthood in 1986.Born Eugene Paul Getty on 7 September 1932, he studiedat San Francisco University ,but was drafted to fight in the Korean war before marrying his first wife,college sweetheart Gail Harris, and joining the family oil business in Italy.Despising the oil industry, he movedwith a rich social set and soon became hooked on drugs, divorcing andre-marrying Talitha Pol, who died of an overdose in 1971.Two years later his 16-year-old son Paul III waskidnapped and he begged his father to help pay a $17 million ransom, but Getty Snrrefused, until the captive’s ear was cut off and sent in the post to a newspaper. Eventually just under $3 million was paid by the Gettys and the boy returned.Over the next 10 years the reclusive Getty fellin love with England,and particularly with cricket, which he was introduced to by his close friendMick Jagger. In 1984 he bought the 3,000-acre Wormsley Estate inBuckinghamshire.He spent much of the following year at theLondon Clinic being treated for a variety of conditions caused by his formerdrug addiction, but despite his personal problems was always prepared to makelarge donations to charitable causes.Generous gifts included £50m to theNational Gallery to buy art treasures, more than £20m to the British FilmInstitute and numerous smaller gestures, earning him an honorary knighthood in1986.His passion for cricket was manifested in a£2m donation to Lord’s Cricket Ground, which was spent on a new stand, and thepurchase of Wisden, publishers of the cricketing almanac.In 1994 Mr Getty married farmer’s daughterVictoria Holdsworth, his companion of 20 years, and three years later revokedhis American nationality and was given a British passport.During his time in England the father-of-five childrenfrom his previous marriages, is thought to have given away as much as £200m ofhis fortune, much of it being donated anonymously to avoid the limelight.Aside from cricket his other passion wasbooks and he built up a magnificent library at Wormsley, housing a collectionof rare manuscripts and bindings widely acknowledged as one of the country’sgreatest private collections.Public affection for the man was deep, withformer Prime Minister John Major summing it up in 1994, when he said: “Paul isa much-loved figure. And when I say much-loved I mean for what he is – not justwhat he’s been able to give.”He died in the London Clinic of a chestinfection.
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