J. Paul Getty's Grandson Found Dead in Los Angeles Home

Andrew Getty, the 47-year-old grandson of J. Paul Getty and an heir to the family's oil fortune, died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home, his parents confirmed in a statement.

"The family has requested that members of the media and the public respect its privacy during this extremely difficult time," reads the statement issued by his parents, Ann and Gordon Getty. "Further statements will be issued as information becomes available."

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating Getty's death.

Officers went to the home after a woman called police at around 2:15 p.m. to say that someone had died, LAPD Officer Jack Richter said. Police found the man dead in a bathroom.

Getty is one of four sons of Gordon Getty, a San Francisco multibillionaire who is among the richest men in the United States.

Andrew Getty's grandfather J. Paul Getty was an industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Co. and was at one point named the richest living American by Fortune magazine. He had five sons and died in 1976 at age 82.

J. Paul Getty was an avid collector of art and antiquities, and the Getty name is best known in the Los Angeles area for the museum that houses much of it, along with many other high-priced artworks bought since his death.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.