John D. Rockefeller Biography

Read this John D. Rockefeller biography to get a thumbnail overview of the life of a very, very, very rich man. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) may have been the richest private citizen in the history of the world if you look at his wealth adjusted for inflation or as a percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Will you ever get as rich as John D. Rockefeller? Good luck!

Childhood John D. Rockefeller grew up in New York state and in Ohio. He had a devoted, disciplined, religious mother and a philandering father who didn't come home often. Rockefeller had a good head for numbers and mental math, and was a steady student. He learned to be a decent public speaker in high school.

Early Jobs John D. Rockefeller sold turkeys when he was a kid. When he was about 12, he had saved up fifty bucks and loaned it to a neighbor who paid him back the following year. Rockefeller charged interest, and loved the fact that he'd made his money work for him and had made passive income via the interest payment. John was educated in business and accounting. He was an effective employee and learned a lot in various companies until he started getting into his own business of trading grain. He made a bunch there, and then saw the potential of fuel oil.

Standard Oil In 1870, John D. Rockefeller, his brother, and several others went into business together, and called it "Standard Oil." Due to his business acumen and the perfect timing in a young nation, John D. Rockefeller made a gigantic fortune in oil.

Philanthropy From his mother, John learned to give money generously to deserving causes. From an early age, he gave regularly to his church. Rockefeller was a strategic philanthropist, giving large sums of money to help medical research, educational institutions, and scientific research.

Personal Life A Rockefeller biography would not be complete without something about his personal and family life. John D. Rockefeller married Laura Celestia Spelman. They had five children, including one son and four daughters. Rockefeller was retired for the last 40 of his 98 years of life.