The Getty Family
Irish immigrant George Franklin Getty and his son J. Paul Getty slogged in the oil fields of Oklahoma in the early 20th century before striking it rich. After his death, Paul Getty spent his $500,000 inheritance to set up and incorporate the Getty Oil. The company is one of American’s biggest success stories of the 20th century before facing financial hardships in the 2000s. Unfortunately, the company couldn’t pull through and filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Despite all this, the family was still able to hold on to their $5.4 billion fortune.