Description
Book SynopsisThe true story of the Getty family as featured in the TV series Trust and the movie All the Money in the World
Boardroom battles, sex, money, drugs, power, crime, tragedy, and family intrigue; at the centre stands the figure of John Paul Getty, the grandfather, 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 angelic 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 he was groomed for the part. And then he killed himself.
With his cherished hopes of a family dynasty crushed, John Paul built a magnificent museum as a monument for all time to his success. But money tainted even his philanthropy; the Getty Museum ha
Trade Review
Elegant and immensely readable -- Robert Lacey * The Times *
A useful reminder that being rich is not enough * The New York Times *
Russell Miller shows a life of great and inspiring entrepreneurial achievement, coupled with the hubris of Getty’s personal tragedies * New York Magazine *
Table of Contents
Prologue: The Midas contagion Part One: The Making of an Oilman 1903–23 1. ‘Set another place for breakfast’ 2. ‘You’ll have to start at the bottom’ 3. ‘Congratulations, Paul, it’s making thirty barrels’ 4. ‘This is oil land!’ Part Two: The Wayward Husband 1924–48 5. ‘Who was that girl with Paul?’ 6. ‘He should dress you in sable’ 7. ‘My first thought was this is THE girl’ 8. ‘Teddy phoned. Miss her so much’ 9. ‘My dearest darling left to join Papa’ 10. ‘A simple Irish girl of deep spirituality’ Part Three: The Richest Tycoon 1949–64 11. ‘In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate…’ 12. ‘Where is the oil, where is the money?’ 13. ‘I don’t believe in giving my competitors a head start’ 14. ‘A billion dollars isn’t what it used to be’ 15. ‘Good, old-fashioned, vulgar fun’ Part Four: The Family 1965–85 16. ‘Bad health, bad news and death’ 17. ‘Don’t let me be killed’ 18. ‘A lecher, a miser, a womaniser’ 19. ‘Money to fuel the legal engines forever’ 20. ‘Not all the Gettys are interested in becoming billionaires’ 21. ‘A curse on the family’ Epilogue: The courage of Martine A Note on the Author
