John D. Rockefeller

When he was a young boy, Rockefeller enjoyed music and even considered it as a possible career. He also exhibited excellent skill with numbers and detailed accounting.

In 1864, he married Laura Celestia Spelman (1839–1915), daughter of Harvey Buell Spelman and Lucy Henry. They had four daughters and one son together.

He was a devoted Baptist; he would read the Bible regularly and attend prayer meetings twice a week.

John D. Rockefeller was born on 8 July 1839, in Richford, New York, to William Avery Rockefeller and Eliza Davison. His father was of English and German descent while his mother was of Scots-Irish ancestry. He was the second of six children and the eldest son of his family.

His father was a travelling salesman who seldom visited his family. He was infamous for his dubious activities and loose morality. His mother on the other hand, was a pious housewife who struggled to preserve normalcy at home. As a child, John helped with regular household chores and did odd jobs to earn extra money.

In 1851, the family moved to Owego where he attended the Owego Academy. In 1853, the family moved to Strongsville where he attended Cleveland's Central High School.

He then pursued a short business course in book keeping at Folsom's Commercial College. Despite the difficulties at home, he was an obedient, sombre, and studious boy.

At the age of 16 in September 1855, John D. Rockefeller landed his first job as an assistant bookkeeper with Hewitt & Tuttle, commission merchants and produce shippers. He impressed his employers with his skill at calculating transportation costs.

In 1859, at the age of 20, he ventured into private business with a partner, Maurice B. Clark, and together they raised $4,000 in capital. The business flourished steadily and by the end of the first year, it had grossed $450,000.

A gifted entrepreneur, he soon sensed a lucrative business opportunity in commercial oil. In 1863, the partners invested in an oil refinery near Cleveland, Ohio, directly owned by Andrews, Clark & Company (composed of Clark, Rockefeller, chemist Samuel Andrews, and Clark's two brothers). Within two years, it became the largest refinery in the area.

In February 1865, he bought out the Clark brothers at an auction for $72,500 and established the firm Rockefeller & Andrews. He adapted swiftly to capitalise on the rapidly growing industry.

In 1866, his brother William Jr.Rockefeller built another refinery in Cleveland, making him a partner. In 1867, Henry M. Flagler joined as a partner, and the firm of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler was established.

John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest industrialists of the U.S. He founded the Standard Oil Company, which almost monopolized the oil industry in the U.S. and made him a billionaire. The company was one of the world's first and largest multinational corporations. He also established numerous philanthropic charities through which he donated several hundred million dollars.