Rockefeller: The World's First Billionaire (And How He Did It)

Rockefeller: The World's First Billionaire (And How He Did It) In 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil broken into 34 companies. John D. Rockefeller, the world's first billionaire, came out of it richer than ever. This is the full story of how he built the largest oil monopoly in American history, from a poor childhood with a con-man father to the railroad rebates, the Cleveland Massacre, Ida Tarbell's investigation, and the breakup that made his fortune grow. In this video: Rockefeller's childhood and his father, Devil Bill How Ledger A shaped his obsession with numbers The 1865 auction that launched Standard Oil How railroad rebates and drawbacks crushed rivals Vertical integration and the Standard Oil trust Ida Tarbell and the 1911 Supreme Court breakup Why the breakup made him a billionaire His philanthropy and the Rockefeller Foundation Subscribe for more stories of money, power, and the people who built empires. Disclaimer: This video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is based on historical sources, biographies, and public records. Some events are condensed for storytelling, and details such as exact dates, figures, and quotations vary between sources. Nothing in this video is financial, investment, or legal advice. All views are for discussion of history only.