How rich was John Rockefeller?

John D. Rockefeller's painting by John Singer Sargent in 1917 Rockefeller had a long and controversial career in the oil industry followed by a long career in philanthropy. His image is an amalgam of all of these experiences and the many ways he was viewed by his contemporaries. read more

John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), founder of the Standard Oil Company, became one of the world’s wealthiest men and a major philanthropist. Born into modest circumstances in upstate New York, he entered the then-fledgling oil business in 1863 by investing in a Cleveland, Ohio, refinery. read more

Intending to create the first great Baptist university, Rockefeller gave the school $80 million, equal to more than $2 billion in today’s dollars. The monopolist’s son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., comes in a close second, constructing the Rockefeller Center, an expanse of 19 commercial skyscrapers in Midtown Manhattan. read more