Founders

Born in New York, Rockefeller was known in America for his wealth and public philanthropy. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company. His fortune in 1913 was estimated at $900 million, equivalent to $418 billion and 2% of the total US economy in 2019 (estimated by Forbes magazine). He is also known as the first American billionaire, having achieved a fortune of $1 billion on September 29, 1916.

He began his career at the age of 16 and founded his first company three years later. In 1862, he turned to the oil industry. After taking over his most serious local competitor, Rockefeller set about creating a national company with a national distribution network. He owed his success to Standard Oil, which by 1879 controlled 90% of oil refining in the United States.  Rockefeller stepped down from management of his company in 1897, although he remained chairman of the board until 1911. In that year, the U.S. government finally ordered the liquidation of Standard Oil.