Troubled grandson of J. Paul Getty dies at 54

[February 09, 2011]  LONDON (AP) -- J. Paul Getty III, the troubled grandson of a multibillionaire oil magnate who once lost an ear in a grisly kidnapping, has died at age 54.

His son, actor Balthazar Getty, confirmed Tuesday that his father died Saturday surrounded by his family at his English mansion in Buckinghamshire, northwest of London. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Born into vast wealth, J. Paul Getty III gained notoriety when he was kidnapped in Rome in 1973. When the family reportedly stalled on paying a ransom, the kidnappers cut off part of his ear, sending the severed organ to a newspaper to prove they had taken him captive.

The oil heir, then 16, was freed after five months in captivity and a payment of $2.7 million.

He later suffered a stroke while undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse in 1981 and had to use a wheelchair since then.

The father of two and grandfather of six "never let his handicap keep him from living life to the fullest and he was an inspiration to all of us, showing us how to stand up to all adversity," Balthazar Getty said in a statement issued by his publicist. "We will miss him terribly."

[Associated Press; By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD and GREGORY KATZ]

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