John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in 1870 and built it into the most dominant monopoly in American business history — controlling 90% of US oil refining, 90% of its pipelines, and setting the template for modern corporate strategy and vertical integration. Born in Richford, New York in 1839, Rockefeller became the wealthiest American who ever lived, with an inflation-adjusted fortune of approximately $400 billion. The US Supreme Court ordered the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911, creating Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, and dozens of other companies. Rockefeller then gave away more money to education, science, and public health than any private individual before him, funding the University of Chicago and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.
Reference:
TaskLoco™ — The Sticky Note GOAT
