https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r en-us 2017-01-03 21:53:43 UTC 2026-03-17 01:04:27 UTC hello@padlet.com jaxbgates https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147994245 2017-01-19 04:40:51 UTC https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147994245 jaxbgates https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147994433 John D Rockefeller was born on July 8th, 1839 in Richford, New York to a con man and a homemaker. His raising by a con artist would influence his life down the road. At 16 he got his first job as an assistant bookkeeper. He would eventually venture into the oil business and by the time of the Civil War he would buy substitute soldiers so he could focus on his business. By the 1870's Rockefeller was a millionaire and would make money in each year of his life. He would join a partnership in an oil refinery with his younger brother and some other men, this would become Standard Oil. At Standard Oil Rockefeller was a smart, ruthless businessman who encouraged competition yet would crush each new competitor. Standard Oil would eventually be 90% of the US oil refinery business. Laws would eventually lead to the breakup of Standard Oil after Rockefeller's retirement but through his holdings he would still earn a lot of money. He would eventually move to Florida where he owned a hotel where he died May 23rd, 1937. As a child Rockefeller said that his two great ambitions were to make $100,000 and to live 100 years. He easily accomplished the first one and became the richest man in the US, the history of the US, and the world with a net worth of $329 billion (with inflation.) Rockefeller didn't quite achieve the second ambition, but he got close as he died at 97.]]> 2017-01-19 04:43:28 UTC https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147994433 jaxbgates https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147995890 Rockefeller started his charitable giving at the age of 16 when he would give 6% of his earnings to charity, mostly churches. This would eventually go up to 10%. His giving would would expand to helping people of low income and groups fighting for equal rights. He also focused on education. He helped his wife start what is now Spelman College, he turned the University of Chicago into a top institution, and endowed Johns Hopkins. He formed Rockefeller's General Education Board that also gave money to established schools. His Rockefeller Foundation focused on public health and he gave $250 million to it. As he aged Rockefeller would give every adult he saw a dime and each child nickel. This became so famous he would jokingly give fellow wealthy people dimes when he saw them. Like Bill Gates now, John Rockefeller was dedicated to using his wealth for good.]]> 2017-01-19 05:09:55 UTC https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147995890 jaxbgates https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147996447 While he was dedicated to charity and was a nice man, Rockefeller was a ruthless businessman. This led to him being the most prominent robber baron. He would demand rebates (a discounted rate) from railroads so he could ship materials easier and cheaper. This gave him an unfair advantage over his competitors who he would threaten by telling them he would buy them at the time or run them into bankruptcy and buy them cheaper. Biographer Ron Chernow stated "his good side was every bit as good as his bad side was bad." This is the perfect way to describe Rockefeller's life and business. ]]> 2017-01-19 05:18:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147996447 jaxbgates https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147996763  "The All-Time Richest  Americans". All the Money in the World. Forbes. September 14, 2007. 
The Rockefellers PBS
www.reference.com]]> 2017-01-19 05:25:54 UTC https://padlet.com/jaxbgates/ije46rk1811r/wish/147996763