THE BILLIONAIRE WHO LET HIS GRANDSON SUFFER FOR FIVE MONTHS
By Gabriel Manyati
On 10 July 1973, 16-year-old John Paul Getty III, the grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, was snatched at gunpoint from the streets of Rome.
His abductors belonged to Italy’s feared ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate, one of the world’s most ruthless criminal organisations.
The kidnappers believed they had chosen the perfect victim. After all, John Paul Getty’s grandfather was widely regarded as the richest man on earth. They demanded an astonishing US$17 million, convinced the billionaire would pay immediately to save his grandson.
They were wrong.
J. Paul Getty flatly refused
His reasoning stunned the world. He argued that giving in to the ransom demand would make every one of his grandchildren a future target. According to accounts from the time, he remarked, “If I pay one penny now, I’ll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.”
The refusal became even more shocking because some members of the Getty family initially believed the teenager had orchestrated the kidnapping himself in an attempt to extort money from his wealthy grandfather. MX
As weeks turned into months, John Paul Getty III endured unimaginable suffering. Hidden away in a remote cave, he was beaten, threatened and psychologically tormented while negotiations dragged on without progress. Every passing day made it increasingly clear that his family’s immense fortune was not buying him freedom.
Frustrated by the stalemate, the kidnappers escalated their brutality.
They sliced off the teenager’s right ear, bundled it together with a lock of his hair and posted the gruesome package to an Italian newspaper. The accompanying message was chilling. Unless the ransom was paid, more body parts would follow.
The horrifying proof finally changed everything.
J. Paul Getty agreed to contribute US$2.2 million towards the ransom, not because he had softened, but because it was reportedly the maximum amount that qualified as tax deductible under United States law.
The remaining balance was not given freely. Instead, Getty loaned the money to his own son and charged him 4 percent interest.
Only after the ransom was delivered was John Paul Getty III released. On 15 December 1973, after almost five months in captivity, he was abandoned near a petrol station in southern Italy, battered but alive.
One might expect a heartfelt family reunion after such an ordeal.
Instead, when the traumatised teenager telephoned his grandfather to express his gratitude, the billionaire reportedly refused to come to the phone.
The kidnapping of John Paul Getty III remains one of history’s most extraordinary true crime stories. It is remembered not only for its shocking violence, but also for the cold financial calculations of one of the richest men ever to live, a decision that continues to provoke debate more than half a century later.
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