Billionaire John Paul Getty Dies at 70

Reuters (Yahoo) ^ | 4/17/03

[The_Victor]

LONDON (Reuters) - Billionaire U.S. philanthropist John Paul Getty II died at a London hospital on Thursday at the age of 70, his doctor said in a statement.

Getty, who developed a love of Britain bordering on the fanatical, lived in the country for nearly 30 years and even built a replica of London's Oval cricket ground at his 2,500-acre Wormsley Lodge estate in southern England.

He was admitted to the London Clinic on Monday with a recurrent chest infection, Dr John Goldstone said.

"Sadly Sir Paul Getty passed away at 1040 a.m. today, Thursday..," he added in the statement.

Getty's multi-million pound donations to the Conservative Party, the National Gallery, Lords Cricket Ground and the British Film Institute came from his own pocket and revealed his abiding passion for cricket and the arts.

Getty lived a life that was the stuff of legend, moving from oil tycoon to drug addict and ultimately reclusive benefactor.

He became a Knight of the British Empire (KBE) in 1986 and adopted British nationality in 1998.

[1Old Pro]

Getty lived a life that was the stuff of legend, moving from oil tycoon to drug addict and ultimately reclusive benefactor.

Reminds me of Howard Hughes.

[cynicom]

Too much money softens the brain.

[gulfcoast6]

Back to square one is he?

[The_Victor]

Note this however, "Getty's multi-million pound donations to the Conservative Party..."

[cynicom]

Yep, I did. His old man kept a pay phone in his home for guests to use.

[Cacique]

recurrent chest infection

SARS?

[spectre]

What is a "recurrant chest infection"?

sw

[Constitution Day]

That jumped out at me too.

[Jumpmaster]

Standby for the parade of "lost relatives" looking to put a bit on the estate.

[Jumpmaster]

Standby for the parade of "lost relatives" looking to put a bite on the estate.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

TB ?

[I_Love_My_Husband]

He looks like a nice person to me

Sir J. Paul Getty Jr., shown with his wife Lady Victoria after he was knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at London's Buckingham Palace, in this March 10 1998, file photo, died Thursday, April 17, 2003, in a hospital where he was being treated for a chest infection, a doctor said. Getty, 70, had been admitted to the London Clinic Monday for treatment of a recurrent infection but died this morning, Dr. John Goldstone said. (AP Photo/John Stillwell/WPA/pool, File)

[mlmr]

Oh! Uncle John died? I wonder what he's left me!! (smile)

[mlmr]

pnemonia

Used to be called "Old Man's Friend." for it killed the elderly who were lingering.

[1Old Pro]

Note this however, "Getty's multi-million pound donations to the Conservative Party..."

Makes sense. Hughes built the Glomar Explorer to reaise a Soviet Sub in cooperation with "Conservatives" in our country.

[conservativeinbflo.]

Isn't Estelle Getty in line for some of the riches? After her role as Sophia in "The Golden Girls" ended, I hear she's been living hand to mouth (hee-hee!).

[canuck_conservative]

NOTE that this is the son, not the father (1892-1976); it was the latter who started the family fortune in the 1920's by speculating on oil leases.

[spectre]

Thanks. Geeze, all that money and they couldn't save him.

Severe pneumonia is a sign of SARS...but I'm not gonna go tin-foil..:~)