J. Paul Getty: The Real Story Behind The Man With All The Money In The World

Getty’s Wealth Made Him Question Everyone

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J. Paul Getty’s attitude towards his wealth was very peculiar to outsiders, but even he himself has stated that he was never sure if people liked him for who he was or how much money he had. “Time is the only yardstick by which I can judge who are—and who aren’t—really friends. I’ve known many people for years who have never asked me for anything,” he once said. Getty reportedly received thousands of letters a month from strangers who were all asking him for money, saying in his book, It’s Tough to Be a Billionaire, “I never give money to individuals [because] it’s unrewarding and wrong.”