What did John D Rockefeller do with all his money?

Asked by: Prof. Kiley Wehner DVM  |  Last update: November 2, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (27 votes)

John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Later in life he turned his attention to charity. He made possible the founding of the University of Chicago and endowed major philanthropic institutions.

What did Rockefeller do with his money?

Retired from his day to day experiences, Rockefeller donated more than $500 million dollars to various educational, religious, and scientific causes through the Rockefeller Foundation. He funded the establishment of the University of Chicago and the Rockefeller Institute, among many other philanthropic endeavors.

What happened to John D. Rockefeller's wealth?

In 1909, Rockefeller established the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission which was largely responsible for eradicating hookworm in the South by 1927. When Rockefeller died, on May 23, 1937, his estate totaled only $26,410,837. He had given most of his property to his philanthropies and to his son and other heirs.

What did Rockefeller do with the profits from his deal?

Rockefeller used the profits from his deal with both major railroads to further expand his business. He practiced vertical integration, acquiring companies involved in various aspects of the oil production process. Rockefeller used his vast power to drive competitors out of the market through intense price wars.

What companies are owned by the Rockefellers?

Rockefeller Capital Management L.P.'s top holdings are SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (US:SPY) , Apple Inc. (US:AAPL) , Microsoft Corporation (US:MSFT) , Amazon.com, Inc. (US:AMZN) , and NVIDIA Corporation (US:NVDA) .

Rockefeller: The World’s First Billionaire

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Are there any Rockefellers alive today?

His flagship company, Standard Oil, was broken up in 1911 by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, but Rockefeller's greatest legacy – his family – lives on, spanning more than 200 surviving individuals and possessing a collective net worth of about $10 billion, according to Forbes' list of America's wealthiest families.

Are the Rockefellers richer than Elon Musk?

Until recently, Rockefeller's 1.5% share of U.S. GDP was the benchmark for entrepreneurial wealth. Today, Elon Musk has surpassed this milestone. With an estimated net worth of $437 billion, representing 1.6% of U.S. GDP, Musk now holds the title of the wealthiest entrepreneur in modern history.

Who controls the Rockefeller fortune?

Management of this fortune today also rests with professional money managers who oversee the principal holding company, Rockefeller Financial Services, which controls all the family's investments. The Rockefeller Center is no longer owned by the family. Its present chairman and patriarch is David Rockefeller Jr.

Who was the first billionaire in the United States?

“The growth of a large business is merely a survival of the fittest,” John D. Rockefeller once claimed. Rockefeller is widely considered the wealthiest American in history, the country's first billionaire.

How much money would John D. Rockefeller have today?

For example, economic blogger Scott Sumner noted in 2018 that Rockefeller was worth $1.4 billion when he died in 1937, equivalent to about $24 billion in dollars in 2018 when adjusting for inflation.

Who is the richest oil tycoon?

The 10 wealthiest people in the oil industry
  1. Mukesh Ambani (57), 150 billion. ...
  2. Leonard Blavatnik (56), 123 billion. ...
  3. Gina Rinehart (60), 108 billion. ...
  4. Mikhail Fridman (50) 107 billion. ...
  5. Viktor Vekselberg (57), 106 billion. ...
  6. Harold Hamm (68), 106 billion. ...
  7. Mohammed Al Amoudi (67), 93 billion. ...
  8. Leonid Mikhelson (58), 86 billion.

Who is the richest man of all time?

"Mansa Musa Of Mali May Have Been The Richest Person In History."

Who owns Standard Oil?

Three supermajor companies now own the rights to the Standard name in the United States: ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp., and BP. BP acquired its rights through acquiring Standard Oil of Ohio and merging with Amoco and has a small handful of stations in the Midwestern United States using the Standard name.

Who did Rockefeller leave his money to?

Rockefeller's wealth went to his only son, John, Jr. But in reality, things are a bit more complicated. In fact, a trust was created, as well as several other entities designed to manage the family money, all to ensure that Rockefeller's descendants continue to live as only Rockefellers can.

What good things did Rockefeller do?

Within his lifetime, Rockefeller helped launch the field of biomedical research, funding scientific investigations that resulted in vaccines for things like meningitis and yellow fever. He revolutionized medical training in the United States, and built China's first proper medical school.

How much did Rockefeller donate to the University of Chicago?

Rockefeller gave $34,708,375.28 to the University of Chicago, which he founded in 1892. Before giving the first $100,000 to establish this institution, he caused a careful survey to be made to discover the largest community, whose needs could be served by such a university.

Who is a trillionaire in 2024?

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, currently the world's richest person worth more than $430 billion, should cross the mark in just under five years. He will soon be joined by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault and family.

Are the Rockefellers still powerful?

The Rockefeller Trust Is Still a Success

His oldest son, David Rockefeller Jr., 76, continues to protect the family's financial security and philanthropy. The Rockefeller net worth is currently valued at $8.4 billion, spread out over 170 heirs.

Do any Rockefellers still exist?

The Rockefeller family is 200 members strong and has a cumulative net worth of $10.3 billion, according to Forbes.

Which Rockefeller went missing?

The author of a new book on the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller in 1961 claims to have solved one of America's most enduring mysteries. The 23-year-old son of New York's Governor Nelson Rockefeller and heir to a vast family fortune went missing in Dutch New Guinea while filming a documentary.

Do the Rockefellers still own oil?

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund investment portfolio is now 99 percent fossil fuel free. Coal and tar sands account for less than 0.1 percent of its $1.1 billion portfolio; oil and gas comprise another 0.9 percent and falling.

Are there any trillionaires in the world?

A trillionaire is an individual with a net worth equal to at least one trillion in U.S. dollars or a similarly valued currency, such as the euro or the British pound. Currently, no one has yet claimed trillionaire status, although some of the world's richest individuals may only be a few years away from this milestone.

How rich would Mansa Musa be today?

He became emperor in 1312. He was the first African ruler to be famous in all of Europe and the Middle East. Historians say he was the richest person to have ever lived. Today, his wealth would be worth more than 400 billion USD.

How much money could Elon Musk give everyone in the world?

If Your Time is short. X owner Elon Musk's net worth is $314 billion, according to Forbes. The world population is roughly 8 billion. Mathematically speaking, the most Musk could give everyone in the world would be $39.25.