when the kidnappers finally reduced their demands to $3 million getty senior agreed to pay no more than $2.2 million - the maximum that would be tax deductible. he loaned his son the remaining $800,000 at 4% interest. paul iii was found alive in southern italy shortly after the ransom was paid. after his release paul iii called his grandfather to thank him for paying the ransom but getty refused to come to the phone. nine people were later arrested for the kidnapping, but only two were convicted. paul iii was permanently affected by the trauma and became a drug addict. after a stroke brought on by a cocktail of drugs and alcohol in 1981, paul iii was rendered speechless, nearly blind and partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. he died thirty years later on february 5, 2011 at the age of 54.