SEARCH BIOGRAPHY.COM
(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.
advertisement
The brightest stars from the Hollywood universe shine brilliantly in this sweeping collection of profiles. Buy Now
Get email updates on your favorite BIO shows and what's new on bio.com!
– Bio.com news
– BIO shows
– Born On This Day
…and more! SIGN UP today!
See who was born and what went down this week in Pop Culture history. Find out which celebrities share your birthday and much more in our NEW On This Day feature!
Celebrate Black History Month. Explore our interactive black history timelines, videos, meet hundreds of famous African-Americans and so much more.
Could you beat the famous Harlem Globetrotters? How well do you know President Obama? Actors, politicos and everyone in between - see all video!
© 1996-2010 A&E Television Networks. All Rights Reserved