Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller, Sr. was born July 8, 1839 and is most well known as an American philanthropist and industrialist. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 and operated the company until he retired in the late 1890s. Even though he retired, Rockefeller retained his stock in the company and continued to grow the family wealth. Eventually, Standard Oil was found to be guilty of monopolistic practices in federal court and was dissolved in 1911.

Rockefeller quickly became the richest man in the world and was the first billionaire in the United States. The annals of history often recall Rockefeller as the richest man in history.

Although Rockefeller was known to be ruthless in business, he spent much of his later years using his fortune to create philanthropy foundations. The foundations pioneered by Rockefeller have long term affects on the fields of education, medicine and science.

Rockefeller was married to Laura Spelman. Together the couple had four daughters and one son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; commonly known as Junior.

Rockefeller was born the second of six children to William Avery Rockefeller and Eliza Davison. Rockefeller began working as a clerk at the age of 16. It was at this time that Rockefeller made the promise that when he retired he would give one-tenth of his money to charity. It was a promise that he would go on to fulfill during the last forty years of his life, which he spent in retirement and working toward philanthropic causes.

Today the Rockefeller family dynasty continues on in the tradition which their ancestor began. The family is widely known to be one of the richest families in the United States as well as the world; however, total combined wealth of the family is so vast it has been difficult to estimate accurately.