John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937,) fully John Davison Rockefeller, was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 and, by 1880, exercised a virtual monopoly over oil refining in the United States.
Born in Richford, New York, Rockefeller began as a thrifty accounting clerk who set up a merchant grain business in 1858. In 1863, with a $4,000 investment, Rockefeller built an oil refinery in Cleveland. In 1870, it incorporated into the Standard Oil Company of Ohio. Through financial prudence and the swift elimination of competitors, Rockefeller soon dominated the oil refining industry. In 1911, his monopoly was broken into 34 smaller companies by antitrust government regulations.
Early in the 20th century, Rockefeller handed over his business interests to his son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and devoted his private fortune to numerous philanthropic projects, such as the establishment of the Rockefeller Foundation (1913.)
Rockefeller was the world’s richest man when he died; his benefactions during his lifetime totaled more than $500 million, mostly in support of medical research and to universities and Baptist churches.
Prominent biographies include Allan Nevins’s John D Rockefeller: The Heroic Age of American Business (2 vols., 1940) and Ron Chernow’s Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1998.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by John D. Rockefeller
God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God … to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Money
I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Thrift
The best philanthropy is constantly in search of the finalities—a search for a cause, an attempt to cure evils at their source.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Philanthropy
Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.
—John D. Rockefeller
I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Success, Perseverance, Strength, Quality, Persistence
Believing that fundamental conditions of the country are sound and there is nothing in the business situation to warrant the destruction of values that has taken place on the exchanges during the past week, my son and I have for some days been purchasing sound common stocks. We are continuing and will continue our purchases in substantial amounts at levels which we believe represent sound investment values.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Business
I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Opportunity
The only question with wealth is, what do you do with it?
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Wealth
The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets.
—John D. Rockefeller
When work goes out of style, we may expect to see civilization totter and fall.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Work
Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Duty
Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Leadership
I had no ambition to make a fortune. Mere money-making has never been my goal; I had an ambition to build.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Ambition
Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It’s to see my dividends coming in.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Results
If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Wealth, Goals
I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Effort
It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Happiness
The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Diplomacy, Leaders, Leadership
A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Business, Friendship
The person who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won’t succeed; you must have a larger ambition. There is no mystery in business success. If you do each day’s task successfully, and stay faithfully within these natural operations of commercial laws which I talk so much about, and keep your head clear, you will come out all right.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Ambition
I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money’s sake.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Money
The most important thing for a young man is to establish a credit—a reputation, character.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Character
Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.
—John D. Rockefeller
Topics: Charity
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