Jean Paul Getty (1892-1976) - a powerful, oil tycoon who was at one point the richest man in the world, with a private life described as ‘bizarre beyond belief’, but what drove him and shaped the man he was? The author looks at the difficulties Getty had in interacting with others on a personal level, and why many have portrayed Getty as living a solitary, even lonely life, despite being surrounded by guards, staff, visiting business colleagues and female companions. Instead he suggests that Getty's fortune was to serve as the central foundation of his life. His need to create, defend and expand that fortune – all of which he successfully did – is key to understanding his life.