The right ear of John Paul Getty III is delivered to a newspaper together with a ransom note, convincing his father to pay 2.9 million USD.

Over four decades ago, on November 8, 1973, a chilling event took center stage in the world of crime that shook the world intensely. The story revolves around the prominent Getty family, specifically John Paul Getty III, whose right ear delivery to a newspaper bizarrely became the turning point in what is now known as the infamous Getty kidnapping.

In the summer of 1973, the young and carefree John Paul Getty III, also known as Paul, was abducted from the streets of Rome. His captors demanded a colossal ransom of $17 million from his flourishing billionaire grandfather, the oil tycoon John Paul Getty Sr. Unfortunately, the tycoon was notoriously known for his frugality and adamantly refused to pay the ransom, stating he had multiple grandchildren and providing the ransom would only put the others at risk.

The entire kidnap saga took a gruesome turn two months later, when an envelope containing Paul’s severed right ear and a lock of his hair was delivered to the Roman newspaper Il Messaggero. Alongside the ghastly “package” was a note threatening his life and stating that further body parts would be severed and sent out unless the ransom was paid.

The story of the young teenager’s ear being delivered to a newspaper took over headlines, cementing it as a harrowing chapter in crime history. The incident served as a horrific awakening for his family, specifically his father, who was forced to reevaluate his stance on the ransom. Despite John Paul Getty Sr’s enduring resistance to paying, he eventually agreed, albeit begrudgingly, to contribute $2.9 million- the maximum amount that would have been tax-deductible. The rest was loaned to his son, who was Paul’s father, on the condition that it would be repaid with a 4% interest.

Before rescue, Paul endured a harrowing six-month captivity, filled with bouts of physical and psychological torture. The severed ear, which was delivered along with the ransom note, was indisputable evidence of the ruthless torture the teenager had been subjected to. Following the ransom payment, Paul was eventually released by his captors. He was found shivering and traumatized in a telephone booth on the outskirts of Naples in December 1973.

Years after his gruesome ordeal, Paul was unable to escape the emotional scars, struggling with drug addiction and various health complications. He tragically suffered a drug overdose-induced stroke that left him quadriplegic, partially blind, and unable to speak. In 2011, the grandson of the magnate who once refused his ransom passed away at the young age of 54.

John Paul Getty III’s abduction and the harrowing delivery of his right ear to a newspaper continues to grimly fascinate crime enthusiasts and history buffs alike. The case has inspired several depictions in popular culture, including Ridley Scott’s movie “All the Money in the World” and the TV series “Trust”. These adaptations echo the chilling details of the event along with the inanimate object that convinced a billionaire to finally part with his wealth, highlighting the immense psychological hold that this event had over every participant, the most affected being the unfortunate victim and his impacted family.

Since the 1973 Getty kidnapping, the world has not forgotten the shocking day when an ear in a newspaper office finally convinced an adamant tycoon to part with his money. The family, the social circle, and the world at large found themselves caught in the midst of an event that redefined the depth of cruelty, the love of kin, and the strange relationships we have with wealth, power, and empathy, all orchestrated by the strange convincing power of a human right ear.