Growing Up Getty

May 2, 2022
Vanity Fair writer-at-large Reginato (Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats) endeavors to break the so-called Getty Curse with this entertaining chronicle of the illustrious dynasty’s four generations. The saga begins with J. Paul Getty (1892–1976), the family’s Minnesota-born patriarch and a storied oil tycoon and erstwhile richest man in the world. Four of his short-lived marriages gave him five children, and their tragedies (untimely death, addiction, and legal strife) attracted lurid tabloid coverage, turning, Reginato writes, “the Gettys into a poster family for dysfunction.” Despite the earlier generations’ famed foibles, Reginato points out that many Getty heirs have established themselves as public figures in art, music, or philanthropy, including, for example, Mark Getty, cofounder of Getty Images. Though the litany of facts—marriages, births, deaths, mergers—tends to dampen the narrative at times, Reginato’s storytelling is at its most engaging in its cinematic depictions of the family in their element: the Getty patriarch surrounded by priceless antiques in luxurious Sutton Place, Paul Jr. and Talitha Getty smoking up with a carnival of 1960s cultural icons in the Palais de la Zahia, Billy and Vanessa Getty’s glittering Napa Valley wedding. The result offers the approximate pleasure of thumbing through a century of society pages.

Starred review from June 1, 2022

Reginato's (Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats) meticulous research and personal interviews create a sweeping portrait of arguably the United States' greatest industrial dynasty and extracts the untold stories behind the sensational headlines about billionaire oil baron J. Paul Getty. He remains an enigma, remembered for both his achievements (establishing the world's wealthiest art institution) and unfortunate lows (initially refusing to pay the ransom for his kidnapped grandson in 1973, though he eventually ponied up the $17 million). But Getty is remembered fondly by his many descendants, and he remained cordial with his five ex-wives. Reginato argues that Getty spawned not just a dynasty but a betterment of society, as the current generation of Gettys are aligned with the times and actively fighting the petroleum industry that provided the family's initial wealth. This narrative captures a sensitive and influential family who, at its heart, values togetherness. VERDICT A rapturous biography for casual readers. This in-depth analysis of one of the United States' richest families reveals a behind-the-scenes legacy of love and generosity.--Jessica A. Bushore

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2022
A contemporary biography of one of America's most famous families. In a captivating narrative, Reginato, writer at large for Vanity Fair and a contributor to Sotheby's magazine, brings readers up to date on the state of the Getty family. The author begins by exploring the life of the family patriarch, J. Paul Getty (1892-1976), who made the bulk of his wealth from investments in the oil industry. Through his extensive research, which includes family letters, diary entries, and recent interviews with family members and friends, Reginato unflinchingly scrutinizes Getty's five failed marriages and other negative aspects of the family history, including drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, sex scandals, extramarital affairs, and a kidnapping by "a group of Calabrian mafiosi," who "snatched sixteen-year-old Paul III, Getty's eldest grandson," in 1973. All of these elements, notes the author, have led the Getty family to be called the "cursed dynasty," though "it would be inaccurate to describe the whole of such a large clan as cursed." To that end, Reginato examines the lives of the many thriving members of the family and the positive contributions they have made to the world. While many readers are familiar with "the family's marquee ventures, including Conservation Corporation Africa, Getty Images, and PlumpJack," the author also chronicles the family's successes in the fields of art, music, fashion, interior design, social activism, and environmental conservation. The author also shows how, despite the extensive media attention the family has received for decades, many members prefer to remain out of the public eye. In fact, from the moment Getty was named the richest man in the U.S., he claimed that it was "a distinction I'm not particularly interested in" and later revealed that the honor effectively ended his time as "an ordinary private citizen and made me, for better or worse, a public figure, or at least a person about whom the public curiosity was whetted." A fresh and engaging look at a complex and elusive American family.

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July 28, 2023
Reginato (Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats, 2016), a writer-at-large for Vanity Fair, dives deep into the private lives of four generations of the descendants of oil magnate J. Paul Getty in this gossipy, entertaining survey. In a sympathetic account, made complex by the fact that Getty had five wives, and four sons who survived to adulthood, Reginato refutes the tabloid picture of the Gettys as a "tragic dynasty," much of which is based on the well-known kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, called Paul, in 1973 and the overdose that later caused Paul's debilitating stroke. Reginato works systematically down through each family tree, even those many branches whose members refused interviews, to craft a portrait of a complicated clan whose members include environmentalists, fashion designers, artists, and a few committed capitalists. While the author sometimes places more emphasis on home d�cor and wedding fashion choices than on the interior lives of his subjects, he has clearly done his research, and those curious about the often reclusive Gettys will find much to savor.

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