Getty's grandson was kidnapped in Rome in 1973 and held ransom for $17 billion. The elder Mr. Getty refused to pay, explaining that he had 14 grandchildren and:
"If I pay one penny now, I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren."
The boy's captors ultimately reduced their demand to $3 million. After cutting off the young Getty man's ear and mailing it to a Roman newspaper, the grandfather negotiated a $2.2 million settlement,
the maximum that his accountants said would be tax deductible. The boy's father paid the rest, though he had to borrow it from his father -- at 4 percent interest.
Some time after Mr. Getty’s release, his mother suggested he call his grandfather to thank him for paying the ransom, which he did. The eldest Mr. Getty declined to come to the phone.
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The grandfather founded Getty Oil Company and was once named the richest American by Fortune magazine. A notorious miser, Getty had a pay phone installed in his 16th Century Tudor estate in England. He was also reported to have said, "The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
In his book, How to Be Rich, Getty revealed the secret to his success:
(1) Rise early;
(2) Work hard;
(3) Strike oil.
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