Gordon Getty

Gordon Peter Getty is an American businessman, investor, philanthropist and classical music composer, the fourth child of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. His mother, Ann Rork, was his father’s fourth wife. When his father died in 1976, Gordon assumed control of Getty’s US$2 billion trust.

Gordon Getty, whose oil tycoon father J. Paul died in 1976, led the sale of his family’s Getty Oil to Texaco for $10.1 billion in 1984.

Once the sole trustee of the family trust, Getty orchestrated the breakup into six separate trusts in 1985.

In 2015, Gordon’s son Andrew died in his Beverly Hills mansion at age 47, reportedly due to medical issues and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Getty is a classical music composer, whose compositions include the Canterville Ghost, Plump Jack, and Usher House.

Since 2008, Getty has given more than $200 million to his philanthropic foundation, which supports performing arts, music and museum projects.

He founded PlumpJack Winery in 1995 with Gavin Newsom, now California’s governor.