John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller in English

John D. Rockefeller was the head of the Standard Oil Company and one of the worlds richest men. He used his fortune to fund ongoing philanthropic causes.

American industrialist John D. Rockefeller was born July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York. He built his first oil refinery near Cleveland and in 1870 incorporated the Standard Oil Company. By 1882 he had a near-monopoly of the oil business in the U.S., but his business practices led to the passing of antitrust laws. Late in life, Rockefeller devoted himself to philanthropy. He died in 1937.