Philanthropist. John Paul Getty Jr. was the third of five sons of J. Paul Getty, nicknamed "Oklahoma Crude," who built Getty Oil into a $6 billion fortune, making him the richest man in the world in his day. After attending the University of San Francisco and doing a brief stint in the army, Getty Jr. took charge of Getty Oil enterprises in Rome. But he resigned within six years. He then embarked on a freewheeling lifestyle of drugs and parties, growing his hair and adopting colorful velvet kaftans. In 1967, he divorced his wife of 11 years, Gail, with whom he had four children. The bulk of Getty's fortune came from a family trust after the sale of Getty Oil to Texaco in 1984. His father, from whom he was estranged, left him only a nominal sum in his will. Getty was given the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1986 for services to charity, but could not be called Sir Paul then because he was not a British citizen. He was invested with the full honors in 1998, a year after changing his citizenship.
Philanthropist. John Paul Getty Jr. was the third of five sons of J. Paul Getty, nicknamed "Oklahoma Crude," who built Getty Oil into a $6 billion fortune, making him the richest man in the world in his day. After attending the University of San Francisco and doing a brief stint in the army, Getty Jr. took charge of Getty Oil enterprises in Rome. But he resigned within six years. He then embarked on a freewheeling lifestyle of drugs and parties, growing his hair and adopting colorful velvet kaftans. In 1967, he divorced his wife of 11 years, Gail, with whom he had four children. The bulk of Getty's fortune came from a family trust after the sale of Getty Oil to Texaco in 1984. His father, from whom he was estranged, left him only a nominal sum in his will. Getty was given the honorary title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1986 for services to charity, but could not be called Sir Paul then because he was not a British citizen. He was invested with the full honors in 1998, a year after changing his citizenship.
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