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Billionaire John Paul Getty dies
LONDON England (CNN) -- Billionaire philanthropist John Paul Getty II has died at a London hospital, aged 70, after being admitted with chest problems. The U.S.-born benefactor was admitted to the London Clinic on Monday for treatment to a recurrent chest infection but died at 10:40 a.m. (0940 GMT) Thursday, consultant Dr. John Goldstone said. In a short statement issued on behalf of the Getty family and the London Clinic, Dr. Goldstone said: "Sadly, Sir Paul passed away at 10:40 a.m. today. His family would like to extend their thanks to all those who have expressed their sympathy, which is greatly appreciated." The reclusive Getty had been living for several years in Buckinghamshire, southern England, the hospital added. Getty was a great benefactor to the arts and had a renowned library, which included many originals including works by Shakespeare. Among the many organizations which benefited from donations were the National Gallery and the British Film Institute. The gallery received $63 million and the BFI was given $32 million. The National Gallery in London said in a statement that Getty was "one of the greatest benefactors that this country has ever known." Adrian Wootton, from the BFI, told Sky television that Getty had a "great passion" for the movie industry. Among his favorites was British director David Lean and films from the 1930s as well as early musicals. Getty's other great love was cricket, Wootton added. "He was a great Anglophile. He loved Britain." Roger Knight, chief executive at the Marylebone Cricket Club, Lord's, in London, told CNN: "He became absolutely passionate about it, he loved being in the company of cricketers and cricket lovers. And he'll be sorely missed." Getty had been president of Surrey Cricket Club and had donated money towards a stand at Lord's. The billionaire, who rarely gave interviews, was awarded his knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986 for services to charity. As an American citizen, he was not entitled to be called "Sir." But in December 1997 he was granted British citizenship, allowing him to be knighted by the queen a few months later and to use his title. His father, J. Paul Getty, established a $6 billion fortune through the oil company Getty Oil. The younger Getty took over the company's operations in Rome but quit after six years, telling his father: "It doesn't take anything to be a businessman." Despite his wealth, John Paul Getty II had a troubled life. He spent much of the 1960s in a lifestyle of drugs and parties. In 1967, he divorced his first wife, Gail, with whom he had four children. Getty's second wife, Bali-born model Talitha Pol, died in 1971 of an accidental drug overdose in Rome. The same year John Paul Getty III, his son from his first marriage, was abducted and held for five months. The kidnappers cut off part of the teenager's ear and sent it to the family, after which the his grandfather, J. Paul Getty, agreed to pay a reported $3.4 million ransom. John Paul Getty III had a stroke a year later that left him a paraplegic and practically blind. In 1972, John Paul Getty II moved to Britain where for many years he lived alone in a mansion on the bank of the River Thames in Chelsea. He married Victoria Holdsworth, his longtime girlfriend, in 1994. He credited her with helping in his rehabilitation and eventual return to public life.
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