Life of John Rockefeller. John Rockefeller

The name of John Rockefeller is known to almost everyone. Few in modern world I have not heard about his famous "12 golden rules", which were invented a long time ago, but have not lost their relevance until today.

John Rockefeller was born July 8, 1839 in New York State. The father practically did not engage in raising his son, since almost all of his free time was spent on entertainment and women of dubious reputation.

But my mother, on the contrary, put her whole soul into raising her beloved son. It was she, along with the priest, who inspired the boy with the basic principles of life from early childhood. Later, John Rockefeller said this about economy and labor: “Life is a constant work. But the main thing is not only to earn money, you need to be able to save money - this will help to keep what you have earned.”

When the billionaire passed away, Rockefeller's fortune was estimated at $1.4 billion. In 2006 prices, this amount was equivalent to 192 billion. That's capital! Yes, perhaps you should study the "12 golden rules" more carefully.

The life principles that my mother laid in little John Rockefeller in early childhood, he was able to carry through his whole life. They became the basis of the famous "12 golden rules".

Little John earned his first money by buying sweets with his own funds, and then reselling them. Well done, you say. Perhaps, but he sold them to his younger sisters. In this first small business of the future billionaire, the law of surplus value, the basic law of entrepreneurship, operated. Little John learned from his own experience that buying in bulk means saving money. That's how he learned to "make money" and learned the basics of trading - by practice, not by reading economics.

Money became more and more at times. And yet, many educators will certainly find this way of earning disgusting. Although those who endure a child who sells sweets to his sisters at a price higher than the purchase price, a disappointing verdict can be objected to.

• Firstly, sweets are far from being essential, you can do without them.
• Secondly, perhaps the girls were just too lazy to go to the candy store themselves.
• Thirdly, they bought one candy each from their brother, thinking that they would spend less money on treats.

Girls simply could not think as globally as their brother.

When John was seven years old, he decided to go into production, raising turkeys in his backyard and then selling them to his neighbors for a very profitable price. This allowed the future multimillionaire to formulate one of the rules of doing business: any work brings income.

Then the future, and maybe already present, entrepreneur lent the earned $ 50 to his neighbor, which brought him an additional 7% per annum. And as a nice bonus, another business rule has become: money should not lie idle - they must constantly “work”, generating income!

The hidden soulfulness of a multimillionaire philanthropist

Little John was not at all a callous and soulless child, but quite the contrary, he had a sensitive and vulnerable soul, capable of compassion and feelings. When his sister died, he was so shocked by this misfortune that he ran away from everyone, fell to the ground face down and lay there all day.

John Davis Rockefeller grew up, but remained the same sensitive and responsive. In his early youth, he was attracted to one girl from the class, with whom he really did not succeed. Much later, she became a widow and was in dire need of money. John found out about this quite by accident and appointed an unfortunate pension.

This is far from the only instance of John's generosity. His mother was deeply religious and managed to instill in her son a sincere faith in God. Rockefeller regularly donated a tenth of his income to the church. In addition, he funded the construction of Spelman College, the University of Chicago, Rockefeller University, the Museum of Modern Art and many monasteries around the country. Through the Rockefeller Foundation, the richest man in the world transferred fabulous sums for the development of medicine. He, in particular, financed numerous projects to combat yellow fever. In all cases of charitable donations, John Davis Rockefeller required that his participation in a particular program remain a secret to the public.

The descendants of the outstanding ancestor of the Rockefeller clan continue to actively engage in charity today. The tithing law became one of the "12 Golden Rules" of John D. Rockefeller.

Negative example - also an example

John Rockefeller, while still quite a child, learned a few more rules that he did not change even when he became an adult. The boy's father drank heavily, forcing John's mother to suffer from it all her life. healthy image life became one of Rockefeller's rules, following which he completely abandoned alcohol and tobacco.

The father, by his example, “taught” his son one more rule. The boy watched his father's riotous lifestyle all his childhood and made a firm decision for himself never to repeat such mistakes. " Negative Example"worked 100%, and Rockefeller became an exemplary father and faithful husband.
John owes his father the most important rule of doing business, which the billionaire himself spoke of as follows: “He often bargained with me and bought various services from me. He taught me how to buy and sell. My father just “trained” me to get rich!”

Businessmen are not born, they are raised

John Rockefeller was married only once to Laura Celestine Spelman, with whom they had four children: three daughters and a son. John loved his wife very much and remained faithful to her throughout his life. He said that without Laura's advice he would never have been able to achieve such success, he would simply be doomed to poverty.

The approach to raising children in the Rockefeller family was very original and was based, of course, on the “12 golden rules” of the father of the family.

The whole organization of the life of the little Rockefellers was based on work. But John instilled love for work in his children through material incentives. For example, each child received a few cents for killing a fly, sharpening a pencil, getting a good grade in school, or playing music. Work on the beds was especially highly valued.

Second rule upbringing was to teach children to be unpretentious, and again through monetary bonuses. Refusing sweets for the whole day, one could count on an additional reward.

Third rule It was supposed to educate children in accuracy, accuracy and responsibility. Anyone who was late to the table, did not follow the instructions, or simply did not obey, had to pay a fine.

The young Rockefellers lived in some semblance of a market economy. One of the daughters, Laura, played the role of "director of the enterprise." She, along with the rest of the children, kept her own ledger, wrote reports and balance sheets.

Rockefeller Sr. believed that it was simply impossible to succeed without the ability to save money correctly. No wonder it has become one of the "12 Golden Rules".

The success story of John Rockefeller

At one time, John Rockefeller often said: "To succeed, you need to work not only with your hands, but also with your head." The success story of the multimillionaire himself has become a vivid illustration of this rule.

When John was 16 years old, he decided not to go to college, but immediately go to work. The Rockefeller family then lived in Cleveland, where the young man completed a three-month accounting course and immediately began looking for a suitable place. Luck smiled at him only a month and a half later, when John was offered a position as an assistant accountant in the Hewitt and Tuttle trading company. The career of a talented young specialist went up and after a while he was offered the position of chief accountant. But here's the bad luck, Rockefeller's salary in a new place was supposed to be several times lower than that of his predecessor, which offended him terribly. Pride did not allow John to accept such a humiliating offer in his opinion.

It was Rockefeller's only experience as an employee. After that, he was always his own boss and subordinate, which allowed him to achieve such amazing success.
In 1861, the American Civil War began. Then John Rockefeller, along with his companion, Clark, was engaged in the supply of pork, flour, salt and other products to units of the regular army. For four years of hostilities, they managed to put together a decent fortune.

But the real breakthrough for business partners was the discovery of oil deposits near Cleveland. In 1864, Clark and Rockefeller were already trading Pennsylvania oil with might and main. John realized that this is a real " Goldmine” and suggested that Clark concentrate his entire business on selling oil, but he refused because of the banal fear of “burning out”. Rockefeller was not one of those who succumb to difficulties. Having been refused, the future billionaire bought a share in the joint venture from his partner for 72.5 thousand dollars and focused all his attention on the oil business.

The whole further life of John Rockefeller can easily fit in just a few lines. 1870 - founded the Standard Oil Company, becoming its manager. 1897 - John Rockefeller retired.

Today, the Rockefellers have merged their wealth with another wealthy dynasty, the Rothschilds. But the descendants of John Rockefeller, a talented entrepreneur, multimillionaire, never received higher education, still remember and honor his "12 golden rules".

If you want to be rich, be rich!

So, what are these magical "12 golden rules"? In fact, these are just quotes from the statements of John D. Rockefeller. But everyone who wants to be rich and successful should know, remember, understand and accept them.

• Work less for others. The more you work for others, the faster you lose money. "Work" - from the word "slave".
• The ability to save is a step to success. Buy goods strictly according to the list, which must be prepared in advance. You need to buy in bulk or where it is cheaper.
• If you don't have money, it's time to start a business. If there is no money at all, you need to do it as soon as possible.
• Success and great wealth come through passive income.
• Dream big. For example, earn at least 50 thousand dollars a month.
• Other people bring us money. If you want to be rich, be kind. An uncommunicative person cannot count on success.
• Surround yourself with winners and optimists. A poor environment is a direct path to poverty.
• There are no excuses for postponing the first step towards your goal, and there cannot be.
• Read more about rich people. Success stories and thoughts successful people help you fulfill your desires.
• Dream and believe that your dreams will come true. If you stop dreaming, you start dying.
• Help the needy. Help not for money, but just like that. Give 10% of your income to charity.
• Build your business and enjoy the money you earn. You need to work in order to live, and not "put money under the mattress."

These rules have become "golden" because they are actually tested by the first richest man in the world. They will never lose their relevance.

John Davison Rockefeller Sr.: biography

John Davison Rockefeller, photo

John Rockefeller is the richest and most successful man in the history of mankind.

His fortune was 318.3 billion dollars (at the dollar rate for 2007). He was 74 years old when he was at the peak of his wealth, his fortune was 1.53% of the income of the American economy, he was America's first billionaire.

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

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

John with 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 July 8, 1839 in the State of New York, USA, and died in 1937 at the age of ninety-eight (98).

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), was a self-employed, very devout Baptist, and was often in poverty as her husband was constantly away for extended periods of time and constantly had to save money on everything. However, thanks to the influence of his mother Louise and the devout Baptist John D., he grew up to be quite a hard-working guy.

• Mother was a terribly devout Baptist, so from childhood she inspired John with the idea that you need to work hard and constantly save.
• The Rockefellers moved to the New World in the 18th century and are slowly moving north to Michigan. Things are piled into a creaking wagon drawn by oxen, Rockefeller's grandfather holds the reins, his wife and children follow, swallowing road dust. They stopped in the city of Richford, New York: John Rockefeller would be born there in 1839.
• He became the "Devil" as a child. His dry, skin-covered face, devoid of luster of eyes 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 knew what John really was.

In young age

Education

At 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 the lessons. Rockefeller successfully graduated from high school and entered Cleveland College, where they taught accounting and the basics of commerce, but soon came to the conclusion that a three-month accounting course and a thirst for activity would bring much more than college years, so he left him.

Starting a business and how to get rich

The business was part family education John. As a child, he bought a pound of candy, divided it into small piles, and sold them to his sisters at a small markup. And at the age of seven he raised turkeys and sold them to his neighbors. Earned on this $ 50, he lent to a neighbor 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 to look for work.

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

From his first paycheck, Rockefeller acquires a solid ledger. In it, he writes down all his income and expenses, paying attention even to the little things.

He, like Morgan, was of military age when the American Civil War broke out. And both paid off their service in the army for 300 dollars (in the North of the country this was a common practice for those with funds).

Having gained enough experience, in his opinion, and having saved $ 800, in 1858 John left the company to open a partnership called Clark & ​​Rockefeller (Clark & ​​Rockefeller) - a small grocery firm, typical of the era of small business.

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

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.

In its heyday, Standard Oil had about 90% of the refined oil (kerosene) market in the United States (in the beginning, Standard Oil's products were not of particular interest to the oil industry, the gasoline produced by those refineries was flooded in rivers because it was counted useless).

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

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

The corporation broke up into 30 small companies with different boards and directors, in which John Rockefeller retained controlling stakes. By this time, John Rockefeller had long since stepped down from the board of the company, but still had a huge percentage of the shares. Every year he received at least $ 3 million from this business.

Oil prices are the secret of success

Since crude oil is virtually useless without distillation, hundreds of refineries sprang up on the other end of the pipeline (and this is true. Under Henry Ford, there were 240 automobile companies, of which only three remained - Ford, Chrysler and General Motors).

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

In the 60s of the 19th century, the price of crude oil ranged from $13 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 homes and light the streets of America's rapidly growing cities.

The cheaper it was for a ferryman to deliver oil from the field to the refinery and from the refinery to the market and consumer, the greater the margin he could play with.

Rockefeller successfully did both.

In early 1872, entering 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 transportation.

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

Time to work is the secret to success

Rockefeller knows that the Lord 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 my favorite game - golf - provided the necessary exposure to fresh air and sun. He did not forget about indoor games, reading and other beneficial activities.

A successful marriage is the secret to success

This 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 the short student days of Rockefeller, but got married only after 9 years. The girl attracted John's attention with her piety, practicality of mind and the fact that he reminded him of his mother. According to Rockefeller himself, without the advice of Laura, he would have "remained a poor man."

The 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 firms, 6 shipping companies, 9 banks and 3 orange groves.

« I believe that the destiny of any person on earth is to honestly take everything that you can, and just as honestly give everything that you can.”- this is how John formulated his life credo.

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

Rockefeller has always been 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 acquiring 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", where they were formed.

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 godly charity.

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

• He helped found the University of Chicago with a $35 million donation, established scholarships, paid pensions - all paid for by the consumer, who was forced by Rockefeller to shell out as much for Standard Oil for kerosene and gasoline.
• In 1901, he founded the New York Institute for Medical Research (since 1965 - Rockefeller University), in 1903 - the Council for General Education, in 1913 - the Rockefeller Foundation, in 1918 - the Laura Spelman Foundation (in honor of his wife - helping children and social sciences).
• His total philanthropic donations totaled over $700 million.
• Half of America dreamed of extorting more money from John Davison Rockefeller. The other half was ready to lynch him. Rockefeller is getting old. Passions, seething around, acted on his nerve.

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

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 holiday in Arizona), who continued the work of his father ( the youngest had six children, and his five sons, representing the third generation of the Rockefeller dynasty, also became famous in business, finance and philanthropy).

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

John Davison Rockefeller Senior (John Rockefeller), 1839-1937, biography

https://website/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/dzhon-devison-rokfeller-biografiya.jpg

John Rockefeller is the richest and most successful man in the history of mankind. His fortune was 318.3 billion dollars (at the dollar rate for 2007). He was 74 years old when he was at the peak of his wealth, his fortune was 1.53% of the income of the American economy, he was America's first billionaire. “I never knew who I would be in this life, but ...

For financiers, Rockefeller's biography is a role model, because he was the richest man of the 20th century. Having gone from bookkeeper to corporation owner, Rockefeller made a fortune with a lot of zeros. At the same time, John was an example not only in financial prosperity, but also in charity.

Birth

Rockefeller's biography begins in 1839, when he was born in the city of Richford. William, the father of the future millionaire, worked in different areas: lent money, traded in timber, etc. Thanks to his risk appetite, he managed to put together a small capital ($ 3,100), part of which went to buy a land plot. William prudently invested the other part in several enterprises. He told little John about his investments, explaining the specifics of doing business.

First earnings

John Rockefeller, whose biography will be discussed in this article, earned his first money at the age of 7. He fed turkeys for sale and dug potatoes from his neighbors. John recorded all his income in a small notebook. Having accumulated $50 by the age of 13, the future oil tycoon lent them to a farmer at 8% per annum. At the age of 16, after completing accounting courses, he went in search of work. Six weeks of searching were unsuccessful. Finally, John got a job at Hewitt and Tuttle as an assistant accountant. Working 16 hours a day, Rockefeller quickly established himself as a professional, and soon he was offered a vacant managerial position. True, they began to pay three times less than his predecessor. John retired... It was the first and last time he was employed.

Own company

Further, Rockefeller's biography leads us to 1857, when the future oil tycoon opened a joint business with Maurice Clark. The partners were lucky: a civil war broke out with the southern states. The US government needed tons of biscuits, tobacco, sugar and meat, as well as hundreds of thousands of rifles, uniforms and millions of rounds of ammunition. To complete these orders, start-up capital was not enough, and John decided to take out a loan. The probability of refusal was high, but Rockefeller went to the director of the bank and frankly told everything. Sincerity young man impressed the banker, and the loan was approved.

Standard Oil

The history of John Rockefeller as an oil tycoon began in 1865. At that time, everything was covered, and kerosene itself was obtained from oil. John immediately realized the prospects of this business and engaged in its production, opening the Standard Oil Company. When the business began to generate income, Rockefeller began buying up other oil companies. By 1880, thanks to numerous mergers, Standard Oil owned 95% of the oil production market. Didn't even make a difference. The millionaire simply split Standard Oil into 34 small firms, each of which was controlled by him.

Charity

Rockefeller's biography is filled not only with financial victories. He is the most major philanthropist throughout the history of America. At the beginning of the 20th century, John handed over the management of the business to reliable partners, while he himself was engaged only in charity work. In 1905 he donated $100 million to the church, and by the end of his life he gave away more than half a billion.

The future millionaire was born in July 1839, in Richford, New York. In addition to John, the family had five more children. The father of the family, in pursuit of earnings, did not shy away from dubious activities, such as selling medicinal drugs of unknown origin, disappearing from home for several months in a row. The care of children and the home fell entirely on the shoulders of the mother, a zealous Protestant, Eliza Davison. Never having full confidence in the return of the unlucky husband to the family hearth, Eliza led the household diligently and economically, accustoming her children to work and frugality. One fine day, John's father disappeared from the life of the family completely, marrying a young girl and becoming a bigamist. However, by that time, 16-year-old John was already able to take care of himself.

Carier start

After graduation, Rockefeller attended a 10-week business course at a business college where he studied accounting. This education of the future millionaire was limited.

16-year-old John D. Rockefeller began his career as a clerk in Cleveland, in a fabric store, with a salary of $5 a week.

In 1859, at the age of 19, together with a young Englishman, Maurice Clark, he co-founded his first company. In the first year they earned 450 thousand. dollars - Clark was engaged in the supply of groceries, grain, hay and looked for markets, while Rockefeller controlled office management, accounting and relationships with banks.

Rockefeller demonstrated his organizational genius from the very beginning. The company prospered during civil war between 1861-65 between North and South. Both partners were of military age and both paid off their military service. But on deliveries for the needs of the military, the company managed to earn a tidy sum.

Standard Oil Company

Acquaintance with Samuel Andrews, who had knowledge in the field of crude oil refining, gave the thoughts of the future multimillionaire a new direction. Andrews was convinced that the future lay in kerosene, and he managed to infect Rockefeller with his conviction. Five years later, while still a grocery partner, Rockefeller invests several thousand dollars in one of the booming oil refineries in Cleveland. The firm "Andrews and Clark" was founded, in which two years later Rockefeller became a senior partner, simultaneously buying out Clark's share. The enterprise becomes the largest oil refinery in Cleveland.

Thanks to the financial help of new partners Harkness and Flager (who also provided lucrative discounts on rail transportation), the firm outperformed most of its competitors in the oil industry. The ordinary company, founded in Ohio in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller, his brother William, Harkness, Flager and Andrews, was called the Standard Oil Company, had a capital of 1 million. dollars, and a year later already provided 40% of the profit. The company soon controlled a tenth of all U.S. oil refining.

However, Rockefeller dreamed of a monopoly. He bought out most of the processing plants in Cleveland, as well as New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. He introduced the latest methods of transportation, including railroad tank cars and pipelines. By 1879, the company was processing 90% of American oil using its own fleet of vehicles, ships, docking facilities, packaging plants and warehouses. In the 1880s, the company began to invest in the exploration and production of crude oil in the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Starting in 1885, a system of specialized committees was introduced to manage the huge empire of Standard Oil, each of which oversaw its own segment: the production committee managed production, the purchasing committee handled purchases, and so on. In our time, structuring a business is an axiom, but in the time of Rockefeller, such an administrative apparatus was something unheard of and revolutionary.

The so-called "mudrakers" - journalists exposing corruption - Henry Demarest Lloyd and Ida Tarbell collected a lot of facts about Standard Oil's illegal and dubious deals. Rockefeller was criticized for railroad discounts, price fixing, bribery, takeover of small firms through unfair competition.

In 1911, after many years of litigation, the US Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil was a monopoly subject to fragmentation. The company was broken up into 34 smaller ones, with Rockefeller retaining control of each of them. If before acceptance judgment the millionaire's fortune was estimated at 300 million dollars, then two years later he "cost" already 900 million. - the lost antitrust process became a new impetus for his career. More and more cars appeared on the streets of cities, which required everything more oil, which means that more and more money flowed into Rockefeller's pockets.

Family life and personal qualities

From childhood, a God-fearing and strict mother instilled in her son hard work and strong religious principles. John D. Rockefeller categorically did not drink alcohol, demanded the same from his employees and attended church regularly. As a follower of the Baptist Church, he transferred to her all his life 1/10 of the income, following the rule of church tithing. In some years, this share amounted to tens of millions of dollars.

In 1864 he married Laura Celestia Spelman. The young people were surprisingly suited to each other - Mrs. Rockefeller was a pious Puritan who despises secular entertainment and loves church services. Five children were born in the marriage - the future heir to the empire, John Davison Rockefeller Jr. and his three sisters - Bessie, Edith and Laura. The family lost another daughter in infancy.

Experiencing a mystical craving for making money, in Everyday life Rockefeller had no bad habits or inclinations. Having accumulated an incredible fortune, he was not going to give up his way of life. Rockefeller taught children to work and frugality, as his mother once did.

At the same time, huge sums were donated to charity. With Rockefeller's money, the University of Chicago, the Medical University named after him, was founded in the USA, and charitable foundation in force to this day. According to some estimates, John D. Rockefeller gave more than half a billion dollars to charity - the billionaire spent on good deeds from his point of view as easily as he earned.

John Davison Rockefeller (John Davison Rockefeller; 1839 - 1937) - American entrepreneur, investor and oil tycoon. He is the first billionaire in history. He is the founder of the largest oil company Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first American business trust. He transformed the oil industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy. The Standard Oil Company was founded in 1870, which he led until he formally left the company in 1897. The Standard Oil Company began as a partnership in Ohio formed by John Rockefeller, his brother William Rockefeller, Henry Flegler, Jabez Bostwick, chemist Samuel Andrews, and Stephen Harkness. With the growing importance in life of such components as gasoline and kerosene, Rockefeller's wealth grew to unprecedented proportions and he became richest man in the world and the first American with a fortune of over $1 billion. Given the inflation rate, he is considered the richest person in history.

John Rockefeller had four daughters and one son named John Davison Rockefeller Jr.

A main-belt asteroid discovered in 1918 is named after Rockefeller: (904) Rockefellia.

John Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in Richmond, New York, USA, and was the second of six children in the family of William Avery Rockefeller (November 13, 1810 - May 11, 1906) and Eliza Davison (September 12, 1813 - March 28, 1889). Genialogists trace some of his ancestors to French Huguenots who moved to Germany in the 17th century. His father worked as a lumberjack and then became a traveling merchant, declaring himself a homeopathic doctor and selling various kinds of herbal elixirs. The locals called the cheerful merchant "Big Bill" ("Big Bill") or "Devil Bill" ("Devil Bill"). He was an opponent of the usual, traditional foundations, as a result of which he chose a wandering lifestyle and rarely met with his family. Eliza was a housewife and a devout Baptist. She struggled to keep the family afloat as her husband did not show up for long periods. She also put up with him double life which included flirting and bigamy. Thrifty by nature, she taught her son prudence and economy. Young Rockefeller listened to his mother and did household chores.

Despite the absence of his father, young Rockefeller was a rather serious and diligent boy with good behavior. He was described by his contemporaries as serious, religious, methodical, and cautious. He was an excellent participant in any dispute and always expressed himself precisely and clearly. He also deeply loved music and even dreamed of musical career. But still, his main advantage was the ability to bookkeeping.

While still in his youth, his family moved first to the village of Moravia in the state of New York, and then in 1851 to the village of Owego in the same state, where he attended the Owego Academy. In 1853 the family moved to Strongville, a suburb of Cleveland. There Rockefeller studied at the Central high school Cleveland and attended a ten-week business course at the Folsom Institute of Commerce, where he studied accounting. In September 1855, when Rockefeller was 16, he got his first job as an assistant accountant for a small firm called Hewitt & Tuttle. He worked hard and, as he later recalled, "admired the methods of office work." He was especially adept at calculating shipping costs, which helped him later in his career. His full salary for the first three months was $50 (50 cents a day). And from the first salary, he began to donate about 6% of his income to charity, which increased to 10% by the age of 20 when he became a parishioner of the Baptist church.

In 1859, John D. Rockefeller first entered the commission business with partner Maurice B. Clark, with whom they earned about $4,000. Rockefeller persistently went ahead, annually increasing his capital. After a wholesale food business, in 1863 the partners built an oil refinery in the burgeoning industrial estate "The Flats" in Cleveland, Ohio. The plant was directly owned by Andrews, Clark & ​​Company, which was formed from Clark & ​​Rockefeller by adding capital from Samuel Andrews and two Maurice Clark brothers. At that time, the commercial oil business was in its infancy. And probably, even the newly minted partners did not yet represent the importance and future scale of this industry. Although, Rockefeller, with his prudence and amazing mind, probably still guessed about the coming technological and economic revolution. At that time, whale oil, which was used in lamps and stoves in almost every home, became too expensive, and there was an urgent need for cheaper and more affordable kerosene.

While his brother Frank was fighting in the Civil War, Rockefeller was minding his own business and hiring new recruits. He gave money to the Union, as did many northerners who avoided war. In February 1865, there was what oil historian Daniel Yergin describes as a "critical" event, literally. John Rockefeller bought the shares of the Clark brothers at auction for $72,500 and founded Rockefeller & Andrews. Rockefeller himself said that "it was the day that defined my career." He was well educated not to miss the chance to take advantage of the post-war prosperity and the great expansion to the west due to the development railways and oil-fueled economy. He borrowed, made profits and reinvested them, adjusting to rapidly changing market conditions and fielding observers to the rapidly expanding industry.

In 1864, John D. Rockefeller married Laura Celestia Spelman. They had four daughters and one son. Subsequently, Rockefeller said of his wife: "Her judgment was always better than mine. Without her good advice I would be a poor man."

Rockefeller became a lifelong member of the then-new Republican Party, and a staunch supporter of Abraham Lincoln and the party's abolitionist wing. He was a devoted member of the Erie Street Baptist Missionary Church, where he taught Sunday school, and served as a guardian, clerk, and occasional janitor. Religion was the guiding force throughout his life, and Rockefeller believed that this was the source of his success. As he said, "God gave me money" and he didn't apologize for it. All his life he adhered to the saying of an eighteenth-century English preacher. John Wesley who said, "Get All You Can, Save All You Can, and Give To All You Can."

In 1866, his brother William Rockefeller built another refinery in Cleveland and entered into John's partnership. In 1867 a new partner entered the partnership and the firm was renamed Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler. This company became the predecessor of the Standard Oil Company.

By the end of the American Civil War, the city of Cleveland was one of the five major oil refining centers in the country (besides Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, and the northwestern Pennsylvania area). In June 1870, in Ohio, he founded the Standard Oil Company, which soon became the largest oil refiner in the state. The company also became the largest exporter of oil and kerosene in the country. In order to reduce transportation costs and be able to manage freight rates, Rockefeller, along with partners, founded the South Improvement Company, which became part of Standard Oil. This made it possible to reduce the cost of transporting products by up to 50%. All these Rockefeller moves caused a huge storm of indignation and protests from independent owners of oil wells, which was expressed in the manifestation of actions of boycotts and vandalism. The whole action was supported by the New York oil company Charles Pratt and Company, headed by Charles Pratt and Henry Rogers. As a result, the Rockefeller transport company lasted only a year, but even that was enough to save a lot and make huge profits.

Not at all frightened and not discouraged, John Rockefeller continued his onslaught on the oil market by buying up oil wells, achieving significant discounts on transport, concluding secret deals and buying out competitors. Less than four months later, in 1872, an event took place which has been referred to as the "Cleveland Conquest" or the "Cleveland Massacre". The Rockefeller Company absorbed 22 of its 26 competitors in Cleveland. Ultimately, even his former adversaries, Pratt and Rogers, saw the futility of continuing to compete against Standard Oil. In 1874, they entered into a secret merger agreement with the Standard Oil Company and became partners with Rockefeller. In particular, Rogers became one of the key figures in the creation of the huge Rockefeller Corporation Standard Oil Trust. Pratt's son, Charles Millard Pratt became General Secretary of Standard Oil. Rockefeller saw himself as the savior of industry, the "angel of mercy", believing that by absorbing the weak he made the industry stronger, more stable, more efficient and more competitive. The company has developed in all directions. This growth was expressed in the construction of new pipelines, tank trucks, and the creation of a so-called home delivery network, not forgetting households. All these measures made it possible to keep fuel prices at a sufficiently low level, which contributed to the emergence of difficulties for new competitors to enter the market. The new company, having decided to enter the market, inevitably had to lower prices in order to compete with the technologically equipped and rapidly developing Rockefeller company, which would immediately lead itself to bankruptcy. The development also led to the discovery of more than 300 products based on oil refining. By the end of the 1870s, Standard Oil was processing 90% of the oil in the United States. And John Rockefeller had already become a millionaire by that time.

In 1877, a hostile relationship began with Standard Oil's main railroad carrier, the Pennsylvania Railroad. Rockefeller believed that the use of pipelines as an alternative transportation system for transporting oil and petroleum products was more beneficial for the company than rail transport. A company for the construction of oil pipelines began. The Pennsylvania Railroad, seeing the prospect of losing its main customer and the threat of bankruptcy, struck back and established a branch to refine oil and build an oil refinery. Standard Oil was quick to make the right decision by arranging its own rail service and thus starting a price war that drastically reduced freight charges and caused labor unrest. Rockefeller ultimately triumphed and the Pennsylvania Railroad sold all of its oil holdings to Standard Oil. But for Rockefeller, all this enmity still did not go unnoticed. In 1879, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed an accusation against Rockefeller of monopolizing the oil trade, which led to an avalanche of similar lawsuits in other regions and created the Standard Oil problem.

Gradually, Standard Oil gained almost complete control over oil refining, selling it on a horizontally integrated basis. But when selling kerosene, a vertical system was used. Kerosene was delivered directly to customers on special tank weights, thus bypassing the existing network of wholesale intermediaries. by the most powerful weapon Standard Oil versus competitors were low prices and informal methods of transportation. The company throughout its existence has been attacked by journalists and politicians due to its monopoly nature, thus giving impetus to the revival of the antitrust movement. In 1880, the New York World newspaper published an article in which it was written about the company the following: "the most cruel, impudent, ruthless, and tenacious monopolist that ever took aim at the country." To his critics, Rockefeller replied: "In a business as large as ours, some things are likely to be done by methods we cannot foresee and approve. We correct as soon as we realize them."

As Standard Oil grew, managing it became increasingly complex and cumbersome. In 1882, Rockefeller's lawyers created an innovative company structure by centralizing all subsidiaries into one large corporation, the Standard Oil Trust. The new company became a huge corporation, the size and wealth of which attracted a lot of attention. In total, the corporation included 41 companies managed by Rockefeller and partners. The public and the press were suspicious of the newly formed legal entity, but other firms have picked up new idea and began to imitate it even more outraging the already incredulous public. The Standard Oil Trust has gained an aura of invincibility that always prevails against competitors, critics, and political enemies. The company became the largest and richest business structure, which was immune to economic booms and busts, increasing its profits every year.

Standard Oil's vast American empire included 20,000 oil wells, 4,000 miles of pipeline, 5,000 tank trucks, and more than 100,000 employees. The Standard Oil Company reached its peak in the 1880s. Subsequently, Rockefeller abandoned his dream of managing all the oil refining in the world and said: "We realized that public opinion it would be against us if we controlled all the oil refining in the world. "In subsequent years, foreign competition and new geological exploration abroad destroyed the company's dominance in the world oil market. But still, Standard Oil still held 85% of the market share, supplying oil and its derivatives from wells in Pennsylvania.In the meantime, there was a large-scale oil development in Russia and Asia.Robert Nobel established his own oil refinery in the rich and cheaper Russian fields, building the region's first oil pipeline and the world's first oil tanker.The rich deposits of oil were found in Java and Burma.Another factor in Standard Oil's downfall was the invention of the light bulb, which broke the dominance of kerosene in households.But the company adapted by expanding its presence in Europe, as well as launching natural gas production in the U.S.At that time, gasoline was still considered unnecessary and hopeless product.

Standard Oil moved its New York headquarters to 26 Broadway Street and Rockefeller immediately became a central figure in the city's business community. He bought his own house on 54th Street near the mansions of other tycoons such as William Vanderbilt.

In 1890, a new bill, known as the Sherman Act, was approved, marking the beginning of the end of the Rockefeller empire.

In the 1890s, Rockefeller expanded the scope of his company, developing and transporting iron ore, which led to an open feud with steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Their enmity became the subject of discussion in newspaper articles and the appearance of various cartoons. Rockefeller went further, acquiring crude oil contracts in Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia as the old Pennsylvania oil fields began to decline in importance. In addition to the feverish expansion, Rockefeller began to think about retirement. The day-to-day running of the corporation was handed over to John Dustin Archbold.

One of the most massive information attacks on Rockefeller was associated with the publication of the book "The History of the Standard Oil Company" by the American journalist Ida Tarbell, in which she claimed that Standard Oil had illegal methods in its activities. These methods included industrial espionage, price wars, overbearing marketing tactics, and court evasion. Although her work caused a huge backlash against the company, Tarbell claimed to have been surprised by its magnitude. She said, "I never had any animosity against their size and wealth. I only wanted them to grow and develop, but only by legal means. But they never played a fair game." Rockefeller, answering questions related to "Miss Tarbarrel", as he himself called her, only said: "not a word about that misinformed woman." Instead, he started information company to paint your corporation in the best light, despite the fact that for a long time maintained a policy of active silence with the press. He said: "capital and work force- wild forces that require intellectual legislation to keep them in check. "In 1908, he wrote and published his memoirs.

Rockefeller remained president of the Standard Oil Company until 1911. This year, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Rockefeller Company had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. By that time, Standard Oil controlled 70% of the oil refining market share. The court recognized Standard Oil as a monopoly and ordered its division into 34 separate companies. Now these companies are known under such names as Mobil, Exxon, Chevron. The collapse of the corporation increased Rockefeller's fortune to $ 900 million.

From his very first salary, Rockefeller began to deduct part of his earnings to charity. With the growth of his fortune, the scale of charity also increased. In 1884, Rockefeller funded the creation of a college for African American women at Atlanta's Spelman College. The oldest building on the Spelman College campus is named Rockefeller Hall in his honor. Rockefeller also gave significant donations to Denison University and other Baptist colleges.

In 1900, he gave $80 million to the University of Chicago, turning a small Baptist college into a world-class institution.

In 1903, the Education Council was established, which was engaged in the development of education for all segments of the population. In keeping with the historical mission of the Baptists, "black schools" in the South were especially supported. Rockefeller also provided financial support to universities such as Yale University, Harvard, Columbia University, Brown University, Bryn Mawr College, Wellesley College and Vassar College.

Although John D. Rockefeller was an active supporter of homeopathy, he became one of the great benefactors of medical science. In 1901, he founded the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York. In 1965, the institute was renamed Rockefeller University, after a decision was made to train and graduate new specialists. Since then, the university has trained many specialists in their field, including 23 future Nobel laureates.

In 1913, he created the Rockefeller Foundation, to which he gave $ 250 million for the development of health care, medical education and the development of the arts. In 1918, the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund was created to support the development of the social sciences. The Foundation later merged with the Rockefeller Foundation. In total, Rockefeller donated approximately $550 million.

Rockefeller once said that in his youth he had two big aspirations in life, to earn $100,000 and live to be 100 years old.

John Davison Rockefeller died on May 23, 1937, at the age of 97, of a heart attack at his home in Ormond Beach, Florida, just short of the age of 100. He is buried at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.