John D. Rockefeller
1839-1937 · American · Gilded Age
Known for: Founder of Standard Oil and the richest American in history
John D. Rockefeller was meticulous, devout, and utterly ruthless in business. He built Standard Oil into a monopoly controlling 90% of US oil refining through predatory pricing, railroad rebates, and aggressive acquisition. He kept ledgers of every penny from age 16 and famously gave dimes to children. The Supreme Court broke up Standard Oil in 1911, but he profited further as successor companies became even more valuable.
He donated over $500 million, founding the University of Chicago, Rockefeller University, and the Rockefeller Foundation. His inflation-adjusted wealth of roughly $400 billion makes him the richest American who ever lived.
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