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Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortune and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty by John Pearson
karenchase's review against another edition
4.0
The money possessed by the Getty family is unfathomable, so inconceivable that it seems impossible that it could bring anything but immeasurable happiness. After all, who among the common folk would deny that money, even a mere fraction of the sums accrued by this family, would solve all their problems? However, the figure of J.Paul Getty as described here was so miserable that the inevitable legacy of his family was an extension of that misery, with or without fabulous wealth. I have not seen the movie that is based on this book, but I gather it focuses on a single episode—the kidnapping of Getty’s grandson. This book covers the entire history of four generations of the family. It was originally published in 1995, but the 2017 edition includes a postscript bringing the history up to date. It is an interesting read— history and biography that reads like fantasy, being so far from most people’s experience.
tictactoney's review against another edition
You know that quote about Americans seeing themselves as "temporarily embarrassed millionaires"? John Pearson thinks of himself as a temporarily embarrassed millionaire: he kept calling the not-rich "mortals" and making statements about money he thought were deep. Also, we get it: Paul Getty was a womanizer....Pearson, you're coming off like you're in AWE of that. It's gross.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A readable look at the Getty fortune, how it was built and inherited. If you’re looking for a strong focus on the kidnapping of Paul, this may not be the book for you. It’s covered in detail but it’s not the focus of the story. But if you want to know more about the broken man that was J. Paul Getty and what he did to the people in his life (and how they lived with the consequences), this is an easy enough read.
readtotheend's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars for me. It was really interesting to read about the history behind J. Paul Getty as I have visited and loved his museums! And reading the whole connection to actor Balthazar Getty was interesting too! It was a fun read but started to get a little less interesting as the book went on. I guess the most intriguing figure to me was J. Paul himself, not necessarily his heirs. I like having some context as I plan to watch "All the Money in the World" which talks about the kidnapping of one of his grandsons.
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