John Gilbert Getty Dies: Billionaire Heir Found Dead at 52

John Gilbert Getty, one of the several descendants of multibillionaire oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, was found dead at a hotel in San Antonio on November 20, as first reported by TMZ. He was 52.

“With a heavy heart, Gordon Getty announces the death of his son, John Gilbert Getty,” a family representative said in a statement. “John was a talented musician who loved rock and roll. He will be deeply missed.”

A cause of death was not immediately available. However, law enforcement told TMZ that there was no suspected foul play. Getty is survived by his brothers, Peter and William Getty, and his 25-year-old daughter Ivy Getty, the latter of whom was named as one of “the most glamourous young heirs” of the family fortune by Guest of a Guest in February.
The Getty fortune was estimated to be worth $5.4 billion in 2015, as reported by Forbes.

On Sunday, Ivy Getty shared a series of throwback photos with her father. She wrote:

I hate to post something so soon, but people have taken it upon themselves to share the news I wish I could have released myself. I’ll write something better later….my father was awesome- coolest man to ever land on this planet and I will forever be the proudest daughter. Love you so much Dad….life is cruel sometimes…. I have not one, but two guardian angels watching over me now…here are some of my favorite pictures of him (and selfishly a couple of us).

Getty continued to memorialize her father in her Instagram stories on Monday. She shared numerous photos interspersed with fun facts about her father. She wrote, “My dad would absolutely love if I shared photos of him and talked about how much he meant to me so I am doing that.”

Getty noted that Fiji water was her dad’s favorite water, Whispering Angel was his favorite rosé and that “he loved ice cream and putting it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before consumption. He wanted to eat it (or really drink it like a soup).”

The great-niece of John Paul Getty III revealed that her father split his time between London and Los Angeles and praised his guitar skills. She wrote, “He was an absolute beast at any instrument but his favorite was guitar. He held all the chords totally different that anyone else because he taught himself.”

Family members who commented on Ivy Getty’s tribute included August Getty, who’s the son of Ariadne Getty, the granddaughter of the late family patriarch. He wrote, “Two beautiful angels, I love you so much.” His sister Nats Getty wrote, “Love you ivy.”

Getty owned numerous properties in Los Angeles, but his most recent purchase, a $3.9 million home in Hollywood Hills West in 2018, was once owned by legendary actor Marlon Brando and Ann West, according to the L.A. Times. The 4,363 square-foot home was designed A.F. Leicht included five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

In 2016, Getty sold one of his homes in Hollywood Hills West for $1.575 million, the L.A. Times reported.

In 2017, he sold his Los Feliz compound, also known as “the Castle” for $8.3 million. Previous owners of 5,582 square-foot home which sat on 1.7 acres of land included Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and before Getty moved in, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In 2015, Getty’s older brother Andrew died at age 47. He was found unconscious on a floor near the bathroom of his Hollywood Hills mansion, according to TMZ. The outlet initially reported that when paramedics arrived, Andrew Getty was naked from the waist down and bleeding from “traumatic injury to the rectal area.” TMZ reported that police “initially believed Getty died under suspicious circumstances” but that he had been “having severe stomach problems” for months.

His autopsy report later revealed that he had a toxic level of methamphetamine in his body, according to the New York Post, and his cause of death stemmed from an ulcer-related hemorrhage.

Getty’s mother Ann, who was a well-known philanthropist in San Francisco, died after suffering a heart attack in September 2020, as reported by NBC Bay Area. She was 79.

Following Ann Getty’s death, her family released the following statement:

Though the Gettys traveled the world attending numerous music and arts festivals, Mrs. Getty was a great San Franciscan who treasured spending time with her extended family, whether attending opening night at the San Francisco Symphony or the San Francisco Giants season home opener at Oracle Park… Generosity, in friendship and philanthropy, was a hallmark of Mrs. Getty, who opened the family home to numerous fundraisers supporting a range of nonprofits.

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