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, 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 has become feared for
its wealth and ability to pillage the art market. In the maneuvering
that followed John Paul's death, Getty Oil was sold; Texaco acquired it
for $9.9 billion, the biggest corporate takeover in history.
Award-winning journalist and writer Russell Miller has broken the
embargo of silence that has surrounded 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 apparently cursed with the Midas touch.
