John Rockefeller. Richest man in history

John Davison Rockefeller, photo

John Rockefeller is the richest and most successful person in human history.

His fortune was $318.3 billion (at 2007 dollar exchange rates). He was 74 years old and at the peak of his wealth, with a fortune of 1.53% of the American economy, America's first billionaire.

« I never knew who I would be in this life, but I always knew that I was born for something more“- this is what John Davison Rockefeller said, according to the recollections of his beloved grandson David.

As a young man, John Davison Rockefeller ( John Davison Rockefeller abbreviated as DDR) said that he has 2 dreams in life: the first is to earn $100,000, and the second is to live to be 100 years old. He was 2 years and 2 months short of goal 2, but he made his first dream come true with tremendous success.

John with his son

Rockefeller was born into a poor family

Full name: John Davidson Rockefeller Sr. ( he later had a son with the same name) was born on July 8, 1839 in New York State, USA, and died in 1937, having lived ninety-eight (98) years.

His father, William Avery "Big Bill" Rockefeller was a lazy man who spent most of his time thinking about how to avoid physical labor. John's mother Louise (Eliza), a self-employed farmer, was a very devout Baptist, and was often in poverty because her husband was constantly away for long periods of time and she constantly had to save on everything. However, thanks to the influence of his mother Louise and the devout Baptist John D., he grew up to be quite a hardworking guy.

His mother was a terribly devout Baptist, so from childhood she instilled in John the idea that he needed to work hard and constantly save.
The Rockefellers moved to New World in the 18th century and gradually moved north, towards Michigan. Things are piled into a creaking ox-cart, Rockefeller's grandfather holds the reins, his wife and children trail behind, swallowing road dust. They stopped in Richford, New York, where John Rockefeller would be born in 1839.
He became a “devil” as a child. His dry, skin-covered face, eyes devoid of shine and thin pale lips greatly frightened those around him. In fact, he was quite sensitive and emotional, he just seemed to hide all his feelings in the farthest pocket of his soul. Few people knew what John really was like.

In young age

Education

At the age of 13, John went to school in Richford. In his autobiography, he wrote that it was difficult for him to study and he had to study hard to complete his lessons. Rockefeller successfully graduated from high school and entered Cleveland College, where he taught accounting and the basics of commerce, but soon came to the conclusion that three-month accounting courses and a thirst for activity would bring much more than years of college, so he left it.

Starting a business and how you got rich

Business was part of John's family upbringing. As a child, he would buy a pound of candy, divide it into small piles, and sell it to his sisters for a small markup. And at the age of seven he raised turkeys and sold them to his neighbors. He lent the $50 he earned from this to a neighboring farmer at 7% per annum.

In 1853, the Rockefeller family moved to Cleveland. Since John Rockefeller was one of the eldest children in the family, at the age of 16 he went looking for work.

John began his career in 1855 at the age of 16 as an accountant at the Cleveland trading firm Gevit & Tettl with a salary of first $5 and then $25 a week.

With my first wages Rockefeller acquires a good accounting book. In it he writes down all his income and expenses, paying attention to even the smallest details.

He, like Morgan, was of military age when the Civil War broke out in the United States. And both bought their way out of military service for $300 (in the North of the country this was a common practice for those with means).

Having gained what he considered to be sufficient experience and saving $800, John left the company in 1858 to open a partnership called Clark & Rockefeller, a small grocery firm typical of the era of small business.

In the early 1860s, Rockefeller went out of business and organized new company- Rockefeller & Andrews, focusing on oil refining and kerosene trading, and continued to grow.

Then several more firms joined it, and in 1870 they founded the Standard Oil Company, with a capital of $1 million, which, with the help of successful business decisions and some predatory and illegal actions, became a giant monopoly.

At its height, Standard Oil had about 90% of the refined petroleum (kerosene) market in the United States (in the beginning, Standard Oil's products were not particularly interesting to the oil industry; the gasoline produced by those refineries was dumped in rivers because it was considered useless).

In 1910, 55 years after Rockefeller earned his first $5, he became the world's first dollar billionaire. “Through perseverance, anything - right or wrong, good or bad - will be achieved,” said Rockefeller.

In 1911 Supreme Court declared Standard Oil a monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Standard Oil Company was divided.

The corporation was divided into 30 small companies with different boards and directors, in which John Rockefeller retained controlling interests. By this time, John Rockefeller had long since retired from the management of the company, but still had a huge percentage of the shares. He received at least $3 million annually from this business.

Oil prices are the secret to success

Since crude oil is essentially worthless without distillation, hundreds of refineries have sprung up at the other end of the pipeline (and this is true. Under Henry Ford there were 240 automakers, of which three remain - Ford, Chrysler and General Motors).

In Cleveland, Rockefeller's Standard Oil was just one of 26 refineries struggling to survive in a very shaky, single-supplier market.

In the 1960s, the price of crude oil fluctuated from 13 dollars per barrel to 10 cents. In fact, Rockefeller was not the first to appreciate the economic potential of the new industry, since the resulting kerosene could heat houses and light the streets of rapidly growing American cities.

The cheaper it cost the refiner to deliver oil from the field to the refinery and from the refinery to the market and consumer, the greater the margin with which he could play.

Rockefeller did both with success.

In early 1872, having entered into an alliance called the South Improvement Company, Rockefeller entered into a pact with three railroad companies (Pennsylvania, New York Central and Erie): they received the lion's share of all oil shipments.

In exchange, Standard Oil was given preferential railroad rates while its refining competitors were crushed with punitive prices. In addition to his enormous price advantages, Rockefeller received detailed information about competitors' shipments from the shippers and carriers union (South Improvement Company), which greatly helped in undermining their prices.

Time to work is the secret to success

Rockefeller knows that God blesses the righteous, and turns his life into a constant feat - he comes to work at 6.30 in the morning, and leaves so late that he has to promise himself to finish his accounting no later than ten in the evening.

John's favorite game

Daily practice of his favorite game - golf - provided the necessary stay on fresh air and the sun. He did not forget about indoor games, reading and other beneficial activities.

A successful marriage is the secret to success

The above fully applies to Rockefeller’s wife. Before marrying a young promising businessman, Laura Celestina Spelman, who can hardly be called a beauty, was a school teacher and was distinguished by exceptional piety. They met during Rockefeller's short student days, but got married only 9 years later. The girl attracted John's attention with her piety, practicality of mind and the fact that she reminded him of his mother. According to Rockefeller himself, without Laura’s advice, he would have “remained poor.”

State of the Rockefeller clan at the end of the 19th century

In addition to the oil business, which brought in $3 million annually, the businessman owned 16 railway and 6 steel companies, 9 real estate companies, 6 shipping companies, 9 banks and 3 orange groves.

« I believe that the purpose of any person on earth is to honestly take for himself everything he can, and just as honestly give everything he can.“- this is how John formulated his life credo.

At age 16, Rockefeller began working as an accountant and philanthropist.

Rockefeller was always a philanthropist; he gave 10% of his income from his very first salary to charity. As his wealth grew, so did his contributions to charity.

« Grandfather was not interested in purchasing Scottish or French castles; he was disgusted by the thought of buying art or yachts", says David Rockefeller.

In 1908, John wrote and published a book called "Memoirs", which outlined Rockefeller's 12 Golden Rules.

When John Davison started, his fortune was in the thousands of dollars, and all the money went into business. Now that he had hundreds of millions, it was time for charitable charity.

Fifty thousand letters came to Rockefeller a month asking for help; whenever possible, he answered them and sent checks to people.

He helped found the University of Chicago with $35 million, established scholarships, paid pensions - all this was paid for by the consumer, whom Rockefeller forced to pay for kerosene and gasoline as much as Standard Oil needed.
In 1901 he founded the New York Institute medical research(since 1965 - Rockefeller University), in 1903 - the Council for Universal Education, in 1913 - the Rockefeller Foundation, in 1918 - the Laura Spelman Foundation (in honor of his wife - assistance to children and social sciences).
The total amount of his philanthropic donations amounted to more than $700 million.
Half of America dreamed of extracting more money from John Davison Rockefeller. The other half was ready to lynch him. Rockefeller was getting old. The passions seething around him got on his nerve.

In all the places where the aged Rockefeller appeared, he handed out handfuls of five- and ten-cent coins from his pockets to everyone around him. And he always took a supply of them with him.

John gave birth to four daughters and one son - John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1874, died May 11, 1960 during winter holidays in Arizona), who continued his father's work ( the youngest had six children, and his five sons, representing the third generation of the Rockefeller dynasty, also became famous in the fields of business, finance and philanthropy).

John Sr. died in 1937 at the age of 98, with a fortune of US$1.4 billion (1937 par) or 1.54% of US GDP, but before his death he gave away half of his accumulated wealth, founding a philanthropic organization that continues to give money for charity, to this day.

John Davison Rockefeller Sr.:

Hello! As always, Ruslan Miftakhov welcomes you! Surely today there are no people who do not know about richest man in the world throughout history - John Rockefeller, whose fortune, taking into account inflation, would now be about 200 billion dollars. Can you put this on yourself?

Today I decided to tell you about Rockefeller’s golden 12 rules and talk about the secret of his success. I believe that everyone who is interested in increasing their income (and this is most likely the majority!) will be interested in this article.

To begin with, I would like to give some facts from his life and upbringing in order to understand: where did it all start, how did you manage to earn so much? And then we will look in detail at the treasured list of his golden rules, which he always followed himself and advised everyone else to do the same.

John was born in New York State on July 8, 1839. His family, in particular his mother, instilled in him from childhood the basic life principles which he followed until his death.

Since childhood, the boy has learned in practice the basic principles of economics, one of which is to buy cheaper in bulk.

An interesting fact from the biography of the future billionaire: with the money given to him for his birthday, he bought candies, and then sold them one at a time to his sisters “at a premium.” The teachers did not like the boy’s “business”, but no one forced the sisters to buy candy, and they could do it themselves.

When the boy was about seven years old, he learned another rule of business: any work can bring income. He raised turkeys and then sold them to his neighbors at a profit. Is this bad business? However, nowadays it is difficult to find such independent child what John was like.

The boy did not spend the money he received for the turkeys, and did not just put it under his pillow, but lent it to a neighbor, receiving 7% from it. This lesson learned will then become part of one of his rules about passive income.

But don't think that John was a callous person. He was very upset when one of his sisters died. He was very sensitive, responsive, and thanks to his mother, a believer. And he always gave 10% of his income to those in need, and also built several universities, colleges and churches.

Not only the mother, but also the father, who led a riotous lifestyle, influenced the boy’s upbringing. Rockefeller, who looked at his drinking father and his mother's suffering, forever decided to lead a healthy and correct image life, was faithful husband and a wonderful father to his children.

How did you manage to earn a huge fortune?

John did not even finish college, and at the age of 16, after completing a 3-month accounting course, he went to work as an assistant accountant, after a month and a half of searching, in Cleveland, where his whole family lived. Later he was offered the position of chief accountant, but he always wanted to work for himself and refused it.

During Civil War in the USA (1861-1865), Rockefeller and his companion Clark were engaged in supplying food for soldiers, from which they made a small capital. And in 1864 they began to engage in oil, deposits of which were discovered near Cleveland.

Clark was not a risk-taker, and was afraid to pursue only oil, as John wanted. And then, having bought out his partner’s share for $72,500, and not being afraid to take out a loan, Rockefeller went into the oil business. He founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 and managed it skillfully until his retirement in 1897.

This is how John Rockefeller earned his capital, but he never became arrogant. He died at 97 summer age(in 1937), and according to his will, his descendants are still involved in charity work.

He promised it would be brief, but he delayed it a bit. life stories such a great person, among which there are many instructive moments.

Now let's get down to the treasured list.

Rockefeller's 12 golden rules

John wrote a book called Memoirs in 1908, in which he talked about his life path, success stories, how to get rich, and also described ethical and moral principles by which he lived.

So, let's take a closer look at its basic rules:

These are the rules that allow you to achieve not only good financial situation, but also a successful and joyful life. They are very useful for everyone. Of course, some may disagree with them and come up with various excuses.

But this is everyone's business. I believe that you should learn from the advice of people who have really achieved a lot. And their advice is not just words, but actually proven actions.

I hope these rules help you achieve your goals! Good luck to all!

Until next time.

Best regards, Ruslan Miftakhov

John Rockefeller remembered his father as a teacher who literally coached him to get rich. The father often bargained with his son and explained to him the principles of trade and business, with early years John was trained in buying and selling things.

Due to the frequent absence of the head of the family, the housekeeping and raising of children was left to Eliza Davison, the wife of William Rockefeller. John's mother was a Baptist who taught her son to be hardworking, disciplined and frugal. From this we can conclude that it was John Rockefeller’s upbringing that played an important role in his life; he inherited all his qualities from his parents.

So, at the age of seven, the young entrepreneur began his activities. John raised turkeys for sale, worked part-time for neighbors and took on any paid work, bought candy and sold it at a premium to his sisters. Later, he gave the $50 he earned from turkeys to a neighbor at seven percent per annum. John recorded all his business activities in a ledger. At the age of thirteen, John went to school; it was difficult for the young man to study, because in order to perform well, he had to spend a lot of time and effort on lessons. After graduating from school, Rockefeller entered college, where he studied accounting and commerce. After some time, John realized that the knowledge gained and the thirst for activity would bring more benefits than wiping his pants in college, so he left his studies.

Rockefeller's early career after graduation

At the age of sixteen, John went to look for work, as he was one of the eldest children in the family. Six weeks of searching and young Rockefeller gets a job as an assistant accountant at the real estate and shipping company Hewitt & Tuttle. The young man quickly established himself as a competent professional, which is why he was appointed manager immediately after the previous employee left this position. But this was the first last work hired by John, because he left the company after his salary was set at $600, although the previous manager received $2,000. This prompted the future billionaire to leave his job.

It was at this time that the English entrepreneur John Morris was looking for a partner capable of investing two thousand dollars in a joint business. Then John, who left his job, had only eight hundred dollars saved up, so he borrows the amount he needs from his father at ten percent per annum. On April 27, 1857, Rockefeller became a junior partner in the Clark and Rochester company, which supplied hay, grain, meat and other products. During these years, the civil war began, the federal authorities needed to supply the army with food. The start-up capital of the company where John worked was not enough to carry out large deliveries, so a loan was required. And John Rockefeller received it despite the fact that the company was young. It’s just that young John managed to impress the director of the bank, which is why he gave a loan to two entrepreneurs.

In 1864, John Rockefeller married a teacher whom he met as a student. Laura Celestina was a pious woman with a practical mind, and her advice, as John claimed, helped him greatly in life.

Late 1850s - early 1860s widespread got kerosene lamps Consequently, the demand for kerosene itself and the raw material for its production - oil - has increased. At this time, John met Samuel Andrews, a chemist who worked on oil refining and was confident in kerosene as good means lighting. Rockefeller quickly involved his business partner Clark in the business, and the Andrews and Clark oil refining company appeared. The Flats oil refinery was established in Cleveland, and oil and its products were transported by rail.

Wealth and fame

In 1870, Rockefeller created the Standard Oil company, which would soon bring him wealth and fame, but for now he had to work hard. At that time, the entire oil business was a chaotic machine, John understood that if order was not restored, there would be no profit. And commercial success in general. This is where the future billionaire began, the beginning was made by the company’s charter, and the decision was made to refuse wages. Instead, bonuses in the form of shares were introduced; Rockefeller thought that this would increase productivity, because employees would consider themselves part of the company, and their final income would depend on the success of the business.

And the business took off, and John began buying up other oil companies. Even if it was one small enterprise at a time, which were not very expensive, John increased the size of Standard Oil. This did not please the competitors, who understood that at this rate a very strong monopolist would appear on the market. Also, thanks to a successful policy with railroad companies, Rockefeller was able to make a profit even from oil transportation. Standard Oil paid ten cents to transport a barrel of oil, while its competitors paid thirty-five cents. As a result, all companies competing with Standard Oil were doomed to either merge with the future monopolist or go bankrupt. Most of the competitors chose to merge in exchange for a share of shares. By 1880, Rockefeller had 95% of all oil production in America at his disposal; later Standard Oil became a monopolist in the oil market, raised prices and became the largest company in the world.

Ten years later, a law against monopolies was passed in the United States, so Rockefeller had to break Standard Oil into 34 small companies, in which a controlling stake was retained and capital was increased. Most of the major oil companies such as Mobil and Exxon originated from Standard Oil.

The monopoly company brought Rockefeller three million dollars annually, and John also owned sixteen railroad and six steel companies, real estate firms, shipping companies, banks and even orange groves. Rockefeller had a villa and land plot huge size, houses in two states and even a personal golf course.

Rockefeller Charity

Being a devout man, John Rockefeller from an early age paid the church a tenth of his income, in 1905 this share increased to one hundred million. And since 1897, John has slowly handed over the leadership of his company to trusted people and immersed himself in charity. Since these years, the Rockefeller name has also been associated with charity, and John himself is considered one of the greatest philanthropists in the United States. Thus, with the help of charity, the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Medical Institute, the Universal Education Council and the Rockefeller Foundation were built and opened. By the end of his life, John had given away nearly half a billion dollars to charity. With his help, the UN headquarters was built in New York. Last time John Rockefeller's fortune was recalculated to the equivalent of 2007, then it amounted to $318 billion, while the richest person for that year was Bill Gates with a fortune of $50 billion.

In 1935, John Rockefeller turned 96 years old; at that time, according to statistics, about one person in a hundred thousand lived to see this age. On this occasion Insurance Company wrote John a check for three million, because he was the first person in the history of this company to live to that age.

Another little dream of John was to live a century, alas, he was three years short. On May 23, 1937, John died of a heart attack at age 97. And even though after him there was only one son left in the family, five grandchildren continued the work of the Rockefeller family, preserving the tradition of philanthropy and participation in politics.

The name Rockefeller has long been synonymous with wealth. And this is not surprising, since it was to this dynasty that the first dollar billionaire in the history of mankind. People have always loved counting other people's money, so it is not surprising that many are interested in the question of what the Rockefellers' fortune is this moment.

Only a select few know the exact answer, but this article can help shed light on the origins of the wealth of this famous family.

Where it all began

John Rockefeller, whose net worth was barely a couple of hundred dollars when he entered adulthood, was born in 1838 in Richford, near New York, the second of 6 children of William Avery Rockefeller and Louise Celanto.

His father worked as a lumberjack in his youth, but over time he began to avoid hard physical labor in every possible way and became a “botanical doctor.” For months he was on the road, selling all sorts of herbal remedies, not paying attention to the dissatisfaction of his wife, who, in the absence of her husband, could barely cope with a large horde of children and did not know how to make ends meet.

However, over time, William managed to earn some money and buy a plot of land. He invested the rest of his savings in various businesses. At the same time, he was very impressed by the interest shown by his son John in his financial affairs. Despite his very young age, the smart boy wanted to know all the details of his father’s transactions and constantly pestered him with questions. As an adult, Rockefeller fondly remembered William, who, in his words, taught him “to buy and sell... and trained him... to get rich.”

How to raise a billionaire

John Rockefeller, whose fortune was $1 billion in 1905, was 7 years old when he was digging potatoes for his neighbors and raising turkeys for sale. Having barely learned to write and count, he started notebook, in which he recorded all his expenses and financial receipts. He carefully kept his money in a porcelain piggy bank and did not like to spend it on trifles. At the age of 13, he already had a small amount, which allowed the young businessman to lend $50 to a neighboring farmer, subject to paying 7.5 percent per annum.

With great reluctance, John went to school, where he did not like it at all, since his studies were difficult. However, Rockefeller successfully graduated and became a college student in Cleveland, choosing to specialize in “Fundamentals of Commerce.” Soon the young man realized that it was not at all necessary to spend money and 4 years of his life on obtaining the same knowledge that any 3-month accounting course would provide him.

Career

John Davison Rockefeller (net worth at the time of death was $1.4 billion) already at the age of 16 began looking for a permanent job. A certificate of completion of accounting courses and good knowledge in the field of mathematics allowed him to become an employee of the Hewitt & Tuttle company, which was engaged in real estate and shipping. The young man quickly established himself as a competent professional and over time made a career leap from assistant accountant to manager. However, Rockefeller soon learned that his predecessor was paid $2,000, while he was paid only $600. He immediately left Hewitt & Tuttle and never became an employee again.

Starting your own business

Rockefeller David, whose fortune at that time was only $800, did not remain out of work for long. He managed to find out that one of his acquaintances was looking for a partner with a capital of 2 thousand dollars. The young man borrowed the missing amount from his father at 10% per annum and in 1857 became a junior partner in the firm of John Morris Clark and Rochester. With the outbreak of the Civil War, this small company trading grain, hay, meat and other goods had excellent prospects, as the United States federal authorities needed large-scale supplies of food to supply the army.

It was obvious that there would not be enough start-up capital to develop the company. However, missing out on the chance to get rich from military supplies would be madness. Therefore, the company, one of the owners of which was Rockefeller, needed a loan. It was received thanks to John, since the young businessman made the most positive impression on the bank director with his sincerity.

successful marriage

Today, many ordinary people, brought up on glossy magazines, are surprised when they see the wives of billionaires, whose appearance, to put it mildly, is far from model-like. At the same time, they do not even think about the important role that clever woman in his career, as well as in increasing and preserving his husband’s capital. The above fully applies to Rockefeller’s wife. Before marrying a young promising businessman, Laura Celestina Spelman, who can hardly be called a beauty, was a school teacher and was distinguished by exceptional piety. They met during Rockefeller's short student days, but got married only 9 years later. The girl attracted John's attention with her piety, practicality of mind and the fact that she reminded him of his mother. According to Rockefeller himself, without Laura’s advice, he would have “remained poor.”

Money in oil

It's hard to believe, but until the mid-19th century, black gold had very low demand. However, it was precisely this product that the Rockefellers made a huge fortune from.

The founder of the dynasty had an unsurpassed business sense, and when kerosene lamps were invented, he quickly guessed what the prospects would be for the one who took over the oil production and refining business. Rockefeller became interested in reports of a black gold deposit that Edwin Drake discovered in 1859 and met chemist Samuel Andrews. The latter agreed to take over the scientific and technical side project and become a partner in a new business. Soon the firm of Andrews and Clark was created, which began building the Flats oil refinery in Cleveland. It later grew into the Standard Oil Company.

Secret of success

As already mentioned, at one time the fortune of the Rockefeller family began to grow sharply thanks to a business based on oil production. However, before this happened, John had to take a number of measures. In particular, he noticed that everyone who had tried to work in this area before him acted chaotically and ineffectively.

First of all, Rockefeller created the company's charter, and to motivate employees, he refused wages by issuing shares of the enterprise. Thus, every employee was interested in the success of the business, which soon had a positive effect on his income.

Then he began to buy small companies one by one, trying to concentrate the entire oil production business in his hands. In addition, Rockefeller agreed with the railroad workers for more low prices for the transportation of Standard Oil products. In particular, the company paid 10 cents for transporting one barrel of oil, while its competitors paid 35 cents, i.e. more than 3 times more expensive. They soon faced a choice: either merge with Standard Oil or go bankrupt. Most company owners, without thinking twice, chose to accept Rockefeller's offer in exchange for a share of shares.

Oil tycoon N 1

By 1880, 95% of the oil production of the United States was already concentrated in the hands of Rockefeller. Having become a monopolist, Standard Oil immediately raised prices sharply. She was soon recognized as the richest in the world at that time. It was then that the fortunes of the Rockefeller family became and their name became a symbol of wealth.

End of monopoly

The Americans, who were always interested in the current state of the Rockefellers, soon realized that they were in their trap of Mr. John Davison, and now the price of fuel would depend only on goodwill. In this regard, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed.

Rockefeller had to split Standard Oil into 34 small companies. At the same time, in all of them the businessman retained a controlling stake and even increased his capital. As a result of the division, such famous firms as ExxonMobil and Chevron emerged. Their assets are still a significant part of what the Rockefellers own (today their net worth is more than three billion).

State of the Rockefeller clan at the end of the 19th century

Although the family lived in great comfort, they did not flaunt their wealth as other New York 5th Avenue millionaires did. At the same time, the Rockefellers' condition was constantly the subject of gossip. Their Pocantico Hills villa, a 283-hectare plot of land in Cleveland, luxury homes in Florida and New York State, a golf course in New Jersey, etc. were discussed.

Children

Rockefeller dreamed of living to be 100 years old, but did not live to see this for three years, dying of a heart attack in May 1937.

He raised his children very strictly, trying to instill in them a respect for money and a desire to earn it. He appointed one of his daughters as director, and she made sure that the brother and sisters were not lazy in fulfilling their duties. At the same time, children received a specific reward for any housework, and were fined for being late.

There was no question of any pampering in the Rockefeller family. In particular, as adults, they recalled how their father once wanted to give them a bicycle, but their mother advised them to buy one for everyone, so that the children would learn to share with each other.

The only son of John Davison Rockefeller, who was his father's namesake, fully lived up to his hopes. He did not strive to make a brilliant career, but devoted his life to his family and to being useful to society. As for the daughters, one of them died in at a young age, the other went crazy, and only Alta and Etid lived long life, enriching your clan with new connections.

John Davison Rockefeller Jr.

After the death of his father, who gave him $460 million in his will, he spent a significant part of his fortune on charity. In particular, it was on John's initiative that New York became the headquarters of the UN. The construction of a complex of buildings for this organization cost Rockefeller Jr. $9 million. John had six children. They received from their father a fortune equal to $240 million.

Margaret Rockefeller Strong

Not many people know that John Davidson Jr. was not the person who inherited most of his father's money. The Rockefeller fortune, which in 1937 was estimated at $1.4 billion, or rather more than half of it, went to the granddaughter of the founder of the dynasty, Margaret. The young woman was the daughter of Bessie Rockefeller and Charles A. Strong. Large amounts Margaret's children and the medical research institute founded by her great grandfather also went from the inheritance.

Grandchildren in direct male line

John Davison Rockefeller Jr. had six children. Daughter Abby, like her brother John, were major philanthropists. Thanks to them, many foundations and organizations were founded, including the Institute of Pacific Relations, etc. Nelson Rockefeller, who was Vice President of the United States in 1974-1977, achieved particular success. Another Rockefeller grandson, Winthrop, was governor of Arkansas.

David Rockefeller: current status and brief biography

The oldest member of the clan was born in New York in 1915. He is the last of John Davidson Rockefeller Jr.'s children. In 1936, he graduated and was then sent to study in In 1940, John defended his dissertation on the topic “Unused Resources and Economic Waste” and received a doctorate in economics. In the same year, he began a career in public service, becoming the secretary of New York's Fiorello La Guardia. During World War II, David Rockefeller first worked for the Departments of Health, Defense and Welfare, and in May 1942 he went to the front as a private. There he was sent to work in intelligence and carried out various government assignments in German-occupied France and North Africa.

As a result, he met victory with the rank of captain, and then participated in various business family projects. In 1947, David Rockefeller became director of the Council for international relations, and 14 years later - president of Chase Manhattan Bank. In April 1981, on the eve of his 66th birthday, he resigned from this post, as he had reached the age limit.

At the moment, David Rockefeller (his net worth today is $2.5 billion) has reached a very advanced age and is already more than 100 years old. Recently there were reports in the press that he had another one. Apparently, the billionaire strives to live forever. At the same time, he is known as the main ideologist of birth control, since he believes that the Earth is overpopulated.

The name of David Rockefeller is often heard during speeches by famous conspiracy theorists. In particular, they call him the founder of the Trilateral Commission, created in 1973 to coordinate the approaches of the United States, Canada, Japan and richest countries Western Europe to the most important political and economic issues facing humanity. The activities of this organization are hidden for the general public by such a dense veil of secrecy that, in comparison with the Trilateral Commission, the activities of the no less famous Bildelberg Group can be called absolutely transparent. However, no one knows exactly the program of this organization.

At the moment, the right considers the Trilateral Commission to be a world government, and the left is a club of rich people who do not want to obey anyone.

Rothschilds

Often when discussed general state The Rockefellers are also remembered for representatives of one of the most successful financial clans in Europe. It's about about the Rothschilds, whose family business was founded more than 250 years ago, and began with a small shop of a Jewish money changer in the Frankfurt ghetto.

There is no, and cannot be, exact information about the state of this dynasty, which operates not only in the USA, but also in Europe, since according to the will of its founder, this information cannot be announced.

At the moment, the head of the family is Nathaniel Rothschild. He has a sister, Emma, who is a world-renowned economist. Few people know that Nathan Rothschild is a member of the international advisory board of the Russian

History's Two Greatest Financial Dynasties: Allies or Adversaries

Throughout the history of their existence, the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds have worked more than once within the framework of fairly close business partnerships, participating in projects and acquiring shares in each other’s assets. At the moment, no particularly intense competition has been observed between the families, since their representatives prefer to negotiate on all issues.

To date, the Rockefellers (today's fortune is 300 billion) and the Rothschilds have agreed on a strategic partnership. In addition, they announced the merger of some of their assets. In particular, RIT Capital Partners (the Rothschild investment company) acquired a stake in the Rockefeller group. The latter has $34 billion in assets under management. These include the oil and gas group Vallares, as well as shares in such well-known companies as Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Dell and Oracle.

As for the assets of RIT Capital Partners, they are estimated at 1.9 billion pounds sterling, most of which are invested in shares and government bonds.

By the way, while people are arguing what Rockefeller’s fortune is (150 or 300 billion), the clans, at least as some publications claim, are preparing to destroy the euro, since they no longer see the need for such a currency. They are also credited with China's sharp economic breakthrough, which could not have been predicted some 30-40 years ago.

According to experts, the rapprochement between the Rothschild and Rockefeller clans will continue in the future.

Charity

The Rockefellers (currently their fortune is estimated at $300 billion) have always been great philanthropists. These traditions are still alive today. In particular, it was recently estimated that the elder of the David family gave away $900 million during his long life. Only in 2014 did he transfer to support various charity projects about 79 million dollars.

Today, no one can say exactly what the fortune of the Rothschilds and Rockefellers is. However, of course, these two dynasties are among the richest clans planet and influence the policies of the United States and many other countries on the planet.

John Davison Rockefeller is an American entrepreneur who made his fortune by starting from scratch. He founded the Standard Oil company, which took a leading position in the American economy and made its founder the richest man in the world.

Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York, and when he was 16 years old, he and his family moved to Cleveland. He was not afraid of hard work, and, as a teenager at the age of 16, he looked for work in various small companies. His first job was as an accounting assistant at Hewitt & Tuttle, a small wholesale trade(bought goods for sale on a commission) and sold vegetables for export.

At the age of 20, Rockefeller, who was successful in his job, decided to start a business with another business partner, wholesaler of hay, meat and other goods. At the end of the first year of operation of his company, its gross profits totaled $450,000. Rockefeller was very careful and thoughtful, trying in every possible way to avoid unnecessary risks, but in the early 1860s he noticed that there was an opportunity to open an oil business due to increasing demand for oil. And in 1863 he opened his first oil refinery near Cleveland. Less than 10 years later, Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, had almost complete control of all the country's oil refineries.

Standard Oil

As the oil business moved east toward Pennsylvania, Rockefeller followed. By the beginning of the 1880s. he dominated the oil business throughout the country, and his company had a net worth of $55 million. Standard's leadership position was due to the fact that it was closely associated with (or owned) almost every aspect of the business. Under Rockefeller's leadership, the company created its own pipeline system to transport products. She had her own carriages for transportation, and she also bought thousands of hectares of forest for fuel.

In 1882, Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Trust, a trust company that would serve as a model for the creation of other types of monopolies. Naturally, Rockefeller was appointed head of this company.
But while Rockefeller's power and wealth grew, his public reputation deteriorated. In the early 1800s, the government began enforcing antitrust laws, paving the way for the Sherman Act, which went into effect in 1890.

In 1895, 56-year-old Rockefeller stepped away from his daily involvement in the affairs of the Standard Oil company and focused on charitable activities. But the new leadership could do little to quell attacks on Rockefeller and his business.

In 1904, Ida Tarbell wrote " The History of Standard Oil,” a damning book in which she told the story of Standard Oil's ruthless business practices. In 1911, the corporation was disbanded under the influence of the Sherman Anti-Monopoly Act.

Subsequent years

John Davison Rockefeller contributed a lot of money to charity. In total, he donated $530 million. different directions. His money helped found the University of Chicago, also known as Medical Institute Rockefeller University (later Rockefeller University) in New York, and as the Rockefeller Foundation.

His wife Laura and Rockefeller had five children, including their daughter Alice, who died in infancy.
Rockefeller died May 23, 1937, Ormond Beach, Florida. However, his legacy lives on to this day: Rockefeller is considered one of America's leading businessmen, whose achievements influenced the formation of the nation as it is today.