John D Rockefeller Influence

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People of John D. Rockefeller's time called him a tyrant, historians believe Rockefeller is credited with ushering the new age of business and economics, and many present day people believe he is one of the most charitable men in history; but if there is one thing certain, it is that Rockefeller had a huge impact on the United States and society. By buying out other competing companies, making deals, and utilizing his resources effectively, and from starting up as a book keeper working for a small commission produce shipper, Rockefeller became one of the most powerful men in the world. As Rockefeller controlled all companies that had to do with the drilling, production, storage, and transportation of oil through Standard Oil Company, he controlled almost all of America's Oil and had effectively minimized costs and expanded profit. Rockefeller is one of the most influential people in America as he is one of the first men to contribute so much to society either with his flawless, but merciless business tactics, or his generous philanthropic work.

John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in New York, where he was the second child of 6 children. Rockefeller's father was a traveling salesman who was, most of the time, away from the family, and so left Rockefeller's mother to end up taking care of his siblings and him for most of their childhood. Rockefeller's mother taught Rockefeller many lessons about being charitable and the importance of being a devout christian, which would later affect Rockefeller's later in life where he became a prominent philanthropist. Rockefeller would later find out about his father's true dealings as a con artist selling fake cures to cancer, and other false
Page #2 home-made remedies, and his sec...

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...nd made very covert, alienating deals (South Improvement Scheme), but through all his morally conflicting actions, he turned out to be one of the most powerful and richest men of the world in that time. As he was rich and powerful he was also a devout christian, and by the end of his life sought to clear his name of demeaning rumors and conspiracies, by being a generous philanthropist. Rockefeller has a made a huge impact on modern business today as most of his strategies such as vertical and horizontal integration, and the buying out and assimilation of competitors, is still in use today, albeit a bit restricted because of the laws today and the ones still standing. Nevertheless, Rockefeller didn't just usher in a new era of business and economics which has changed the way people think today, but also has contributed much by donating and bestowing much to society.

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