The Solitary Billionaire
- Program
- The Solitary Billionaire
- Producing Organization
- British Broadcasting Corporation
- Contributing Organization
- Thirteen WNET (New York, New York)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/75-386hdvsr
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- Description
- Program Description
- In one day, the world's richest man, J. Paul Getty, earn more than the average man does in a lifetime. America's only billionaire [at the time of production] is the subject of this interview - documentary program conducted by Alan Whicker. Mr. Getty discusses reports of his meanness, the reason for his unsuccessful marriages, why he keeps working and making more money, what he has had to sacrifice to become so wealthy, and how he spends his money. The main setting for this hour-long program is Getty's rambling sixteenth century Sutton Place manor on 700 acres of Surrey in London, England. From this country seat of power, the oil magnate controls his complex kingdom of 70 companies, 19,000 employees, business complexes, hotels, and aircraft corporation, and life insurance holdings throughout the world. It is here that two telephone lines link him to the outside world. A one-man international power, Mr. Getty can be compared financially only to the legendary rulers of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. With two secretaries, Mr. Getty conducts his business in an unassuming study with an ordinary desk. In one of the immense rooms of the sprawling manor, the world's richest man comments about why he's succeeded where others have failed: "I really don't know of any quality I have that many others don't have. I'm hardworking... but I know others just as hardworking. I'm intelligent, I like to think, but I know others just as intelligent." Mr. Getty muses, "I always wished that I had a better personality, that I could entertain people better I always worried I might be a little on the dull side." He says whenever he reviews his efforts he's always found that he could have and should have done better. A complex man who says he never set out to become so rich, Mr. Getty attributes his rise to carrying on his father's flourishing business. "I started at a pretty high altitude you might say," Mr. Getty recalls. Mr. Getty's father had started from poverty in Minnesota, and became rich when oil was found on land he bought in Oklahoma. Mr. Getty made his first million at 23 years of age - 13 years before his father died. During the conversation Mr. Getty candidly admits that he's envied many people. "I envy people - younger and stronger, and more cheerful than I am, people who have better characters than I have." Mr. Getty adds that the ordinary man in the street has many advantages. "Large financial responsibilities are not any key to cheerfulness." A man who has been viewed as a cold calculating machine, as lucky, as a business genius with a Midas touch, Mr. Getty sees himself as "a tennis player, just trying to volley the ball back." The father of four sons who will inherit his realm, he currently doesn't feel particularly inclined to sell his holdings. The services he renders to society to "deserve all that" income are mostly "in finding oil. Finding oil is not a very easy thing to do. Some people find oil, other people don't." Until that far off day of selling out or liquidating his companies, Mr. Getty plans to continue ruling his empire. He adds, "I have my personal business, too, which is relatively very small compared to my company interests, but I have many times borrowed money from banks in my personal business and I never had the feeling that I was flush in cash." As the program shows in a brief tour of the manor, Mr. Getty's galleries, sitting rooms, bedroom, are enriched with paintings. They're owned by a company whose stock is one-hundred percent owned by Mr. Getty. Besides that, Mr. Getty has an art collection at another home in Santa Monica, CA. Mr. Getty thinks people who believe billionaires live lives of unlimited pleasure and luxury have the wrong idea. "I think that probably of all classes that I know, the millionaire businessman is the hardest working." Discussing philanthropy, Mr. Getty says, "I think a man is doing a worthy work if he builds up his business, gives employment to large groups of people, and renders a service to the public and he benefits them - I mean making a living a thousand of people rather than delegating somebody else to do it." In Sutton Place, Mr. Getty has a pay telephone booth to prevent guests from making trunk and toll calls. He explains, "I think that right-thinking guests would consider that was a benefit; it's rather daunting if you're visiting somewhere and you have to put in a long distance call, and charge your host with it." He derives great pleasure in spending his money right "in my own business. I like to see a new refinery, I like to see new chemical plants, I like to see new tankers because it's constructive. In the first place we hope it's a good investment, it's going to give employment to a lot of people." The serious looking billionaire also expresses dislike for giving huge parties "for a lot of people" he doesn't know. He tells about a party a millionaire gave and out of the eighty people, only five were friends of the man. But Mr. Getty has been known to entertain strangers. Yearly, orphans are invited as his guests to a party at his mansion. The seventy-year-old business king is an avid practitioner of physical fitness. He lifts barbells daily, takes long walks, and swims. Sutton Place is a manor modified with extensive security precautions. Mr. Getty declares security is a necessary precaution. While there's no money in the house and few works of art, Mr. Getty regards his police dogs, barred windows, and body guards as a measure against crackpots. "A crackpot might come and dynamite the place." Mr. Getty's search for domestic happiness has resulted in five divorces. The oil empire builder attributes his preoccupation with his business as the main reason for the martial failures. Quoted as saying that he'd gladly trade his millions for one lasting marital success, Mr. Getty comments that while he sticks by the statement, "I don't want to get hundreds old letters from women who want to marry me, sight unseen." A man who has left his wives at the time of his children's birth, Mr. Getty concedes that he has put "important" business first at times when informed decisions has to be made. The solitary billionaire says he doesn't feel particularly lonely, for "I've been too busy to feel lonely." For Mr. Getty, his sacrifice for success is in giving up a lot of leisure," a lot of trips I would like to have made and theaters I'd like to have seen and walks I would like to have taken." The old saying that money can't buy happiness also applies to health, according to Mr. Getty. And "I don't think it can buy a good time. I think some of the best times I ever had didn't cost me any money." Interspersed throughout the interview are films of the Getty Empire taken in Arabia, Japan, and America, and film clips of Getty in his youth and his family. Cleveland Amory, who appears as host and comments on the interview, is a noted writer, critic of America's society, US high society and editor-in-chief of "Celebrity Register." A former associate editor of the Saturday Evening Post, Mr. Amory is the author of "The Proper Bostonians," "Home Town," "The Last Resorts," and "Who Killed Society?" He has written many articles for such national publications as Saturday Review, Holiday and Life. He also writes a weekly critical column in TV Guide magazine. The Solitary Billionaire is a 1963 production of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Cleveland Amory portion of the program is a 1964 production of National Educational Television. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Description
- In one day, the worlds richest man, J. Paul Getty, earn more than the average man does in a lifetime. Americas only billionaire is the subject of this interview documentary program conducted by Alan Whicker. Mr. Getty discusses reports of his meanness, the reason for his unsuccessful marriages, why he keeps working and making more money, what he has had to sacrifice to become so wealthy, and how he spends his money. The main setting for this program is Gettys rambling sixteenth century Sutton Place manor on 700 acres of Surrey in London, England. From this country seat of power, the oil magnate controls his complex kingdom of 70 companies, 19,000 employees, business complexes, hotels, and aircraft corporation, and life insurance holdings throughout the world. It is here that two telephone lines link him to the outside world. A one-man international power, Mr. Getty can be compared financially only to the legendary rulers of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. With two secretaries, Mr. Getty conducts his business in an unassuming study with an ordinary desk. In one of my immense rooms of the sprawling manor, the worlds richest man comments about why hes succeeded where others have failed: I really dont know of any quality I have that many others dont have. Im hardworking... but I know others just as hardworking. Im intelligent, I like to think, but I know others just as intelligent. Mr. Getty muses, I always wished that I had a better personality, that I could entertain people better I always worried I might be a little on the dull side. He says whenever he reviews his efforts hes always found that he could have and should have done better. A complex man who says he never set out to become so rich, Mr. Getty attributes his rise to carrying on his fathers flourishing business. I started at a pretty high altitude you might say, Mr. Getty recalls. Mr. Gettys father had started from poverty in Minnesota, and became rich when oil was found on land he bought in Oklahoma. Mr. Getty made his first million at 23 years of age 13 years before his father died. During the conversation Mr. Getty candidly admits that hes envied many people. I envy people younger and stronger, and more cheerful than I am, people who have better characters than I have. Mr. Getty adds that the ordinary man in the street has many advantages. Large financial responsibilities are not any key to cheerfulness. A man who has been viewed as a cold calculating machine, as lucky, as a business genius with a Midas touch, Mr. Getty sees himself as a tennis player, just trying to volley the ball back. The father of four sons who will inherit his realm, he currently doesnt feel particularly inclined to sell his holdings. The services he renders to society to deserve all that income are mostly in finding oil. Finding oil is not a very easy thing to do. Some people find oil, other people dont. Until that far off day of selling out or liquidating his companies, Mr. Getty plans to continue ruling his empire. He adds, I have my personal business, too, which is relatively very small compared to my company interests, but I have many times borrowed money from banks in my personal business and I never had the feeling that I was flush in cash. As the program shows in a brief tour of the manor, Mr. Gettys galleries, sitting rooms, bedroom, are enriched with paintings. Theyre owned by a company whose stock is one-hundred percent owned by Mr. Getty. Besides that, Mr. Getty has an art collection at another home in Santa Monica, CA. Mr. Getty thinks people who believe billionaires live lives of unlimited pleasure and luxury have the wrong idea. I think that probably of all classes that I know, the millionaire businessman is the hardest working. Discussing philanthropy, Mr. Getty says, I think a man is doing a worthy work if he builds up his business, gives employment to large groups of people, and renders a service to the public and he benefits them I mean making a living a thousand of people rather than delegating somebody else to do it. In Sutton Place, Mr. Getty has a pay telephone booth to prevent guests from making trunk and toll calls. He explains, I think that right-thinking guests would consider that was a benefit; its rather daunting if youre visiting somewhere and you have to put in a long distance call, and charge your host with it. He derives great pleasure in spending his money right in my own business. I like to see a new refinery, I like to see new chemical plants, I like to see new tankers because its constructive. In the first place we hope its a good investment, its going to give employment to a lot of people. The serious looking billionaire also expresses dislike for giving huge parties for a lot of people he doesnt know. He tells about a party a millionaire gave and out of the eighty people, only five were friends of the man. But Mr. Getty has been known to entertain strangers. Yearly, orphans are invited as his guests to a party at his mansion. The seventy-year-old business king is an avid practitioner of physical fitness. He lifts barbells daily, takes long walks, and swims. Sutton Place is a manor modified with extensive security precautions. Mr. Getty declares security is a necessary precaution. While theres no money in the house and few works of art, Mr. Getty regards his police dogs, barred windows, and body guards as a measure against crackpots. A crackpot might come and dynamite the place. Mr. Gettys search for domestic happiness has resulted in five divorces. The oil empire builder attributes his preoccupation with his business as the main reason for the martial failures. Quoted as saying that hed gladly trade his millions for one lasting marital success, Mr. Getty comments that while he sticks by the statement, I dont want to get hundreds old letters from women who want to marry me, sight unseen. A man who has left his wives at the time of his childrens birth, Mr. Getty concedes that he has put important business first at times when informed decisions has to be made. The solitary billionaire says he doesnt feel particularly lonely, for Ive been too busy to feel lonely. For Mr. Getty, his sacrifice for success is in giving up a lot of leisure, a lot of trips I would like to have made and theaters Id like to have seen and walks I would like to have taken. The old saying that money cant buy happiness also applies to health, according to Mr. Getty. And I dont think it can buy a good time. I think some of the best times I ever had didnt cost me any money. Interspersed throughout the interview are films of the Getty empire taken in Arabia, Japan, and America, and film clips of Getty in his youth and his family.
- Broadcast Date
- 1964-04-20
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Documentary
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Credits
-
-
Executive Producer: Weston, William
Host: Armory, Cleveland
Interviewee: Getty, J. Paul
Interviewer: Whicker, Alan
Producing Organization: British Broadcasting Corporation
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Thirteen - New York Public Media (WNET)
Identifier: wnet_aacip_2662 (WNET Archive)
Format: 16mm film
Duration: 00:59:43?
-
Thirteen - New York Public Media (WNET)
Identifier: wnet_aacip_2663 (WNET Archive)
Format: 16mm film
Duration: 00:59:42?
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
- Citations
- Chicago: “The Solitary Billionaire,” 1964-04-20, Thirteen WNET, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed May 17, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-386hdvsr.
- MLA: “The Solitary Billionaire.” 1964-04-20. Thirteen WNET, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. May 17, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-386hdvsr>.
- APA: The Solitary Billionaire. Boston, MA: Thirteen WNET, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-386hdvsr