The House of Getty

The tormented saga of the Getty family reads like the script for Dynasty: interweaving boardroom battles, sex, money, drugs, power, crime, tragedy, and family intrigue. At the centre stands the figure of John Paul Getty, an eccentric oil billionaire believed to have been the richest man in the world [...]
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The tormented saga of the Getty family reads like the script for Dynasty: interweaving boardroom battles, sex, money, drugs, power, crime, tragedy, and family intrigue. At the centre stands the figure of John Paul Getty, an eccentric oil billionaire believed to have been the richest man in the world. Married and divorced five times, he had five sons, and yet was cheated of his dearest ambition-to found an oil dynasty. His youngest son died at age twelve after years of illness. Of the remaining four sons, three proved to be hopeless businessmen and, one by one, dropped out of Getty Oil. Only one had the talent to take the helm of the family business, and was groomed for the part. He soon committed suicide. With his cherished hopes of a family dynasty crushed, John Paul built a magnificent museum as a monument to his success. But money tainted even his philanthropy; the Getty Museum has become feared for its wealth and ability to pillage the art market. In the manoeuvring that followed John Paul's death, Getty Oil was sold; acquired by Texaco for $9.9 billion, the biggest corporate takeover in history. Award-winning journalist and writer Russell Miller has lifted the veil surrounding the Gettys to bring us the extraordinary and often disturbing story of a unique American family. From the pioneering days in the Oklahoma oil fields to the bitter struggles over Getty Oil, we follow the rise and fall of three generations, all cursed with the Midas touch.