Getty, Jean Paul, 1892-1976, American business executive, one of the richest men in the world during his life, b. Minneapolis, Minn. He inherited his father's oil business, George F. Getty, Inc., becoming its president and general manager in 1930. When it was reorganized (1956) as the Getty Oil Company, he became the firm's director and principal owner. From the early 1950s until his death, Getty resided in Great Britain. From his 16th-century Tudor estate, known as Sutton Place, Getty controlled a vast business empire made up of almost 200 concerns. His personal worth was estimated to be approximately $3 billion.

(born Dec. 15, 1892, Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.—died June 6, 1976, Sutton Place, Surrey, Eng.) U.S. oil billionaire, reputed to be the richest man in the world at his death. The son of an oil millionaire, he began buying and selling oil leases in Oklahoma in 1913. He acquired Pacific Western Oil Corp. in 1932 and soon gained control of several independent oil companies. He renamed his oil concern Getty Oil Co. in 1956. His most lucrative venture was a 60-year oil concession in Saudi Arabia. His financial empire eventually encompassed some 200 enterprises. A zealous art collector, he founded the J. Paul Getty Museum near Malibu, Calif., in 1953.

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