Here's all you need to know about his kidnapping and the movie about it, All The Money In The World.
Who is John Paul Getty III?
John Paul Getty III was the eldest of four children of John Paul Getty Jr. and Abigail Harris.
He was the grandson of oil tycoon and one time richest man in history John Paul Getty.
Known as Paul to family members after being born in Minneapolis in 1956 he grew up mainly in Italy where his dad headed the Italian wing of the family empire.
His parents split when he was eight and his dad moved away after hooking up with a model but Paul stayed with his mum in Rome.
During his teens he was expelled from school, frequented nightclubs and took part in left wing demos.
When was he kidnapped?
Aged just 16 he was kidnapped in Italy.
Previously toying with the idea of staging a kidnapping to extract funds from his rich grandfather, J. Paul Getty, when a ransom note was received for $17 million (£11.9 million) some family members thought it a ploy.
But months dragged on and his captors cut off his ear and mailed it, along with a piece of his hair, to newspapers, reissuing their demands.
Despite being one of the richest men in the world J. Paul Getty’s infamously refused to pay up.
Eventually, after declining treatment and health, another issue was made for $3.2 million (£3.3 million).
He eventually negotiated his release for $2.9 million (£2 million), and paid $2.2 million (£1.5 million) – the maximum tax deductible amount – and loaned his son the rest at four percent interest.
Following his release his life was plagued with addiction problems and he suffered a stroke which left him quadriplegic, partially blind and unable to speak.
He was severely handicapped for the rest of his life and cared for by his mother, Abigail Harris, until his death in 2011 aged 54.
What is All The Money In The World about?
All The Money In The World tells the story of John Paul Getty III's kidnapping.
The movie is based on the 1995 book by John Pearson Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty.
Released in 2017 the film, staring Mark Whalberg, Michelle Williams and Charlie Plummer was acclaimed by critics.
However the Ridley Scott flick hit the headlines for controversial reasons after Kevin Spacey was edited out of it entirely following allegations of sexual impropriety.
Spacey was replaced by Christopher Plummer in the role of John Paul Getty, for which he was nominated at this years Oscars for.
Charlie Plummer took on the role of the kidnapped John Paul III, while Michelle Williams played his mum Gail.
Mark Whalberg played Fletcher Chace, Gail and Getty's adviser and former CIA operative.
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