John D. Rockefeller, Sr., residence at 4 W. 54th St., New...

John Davison Rockefeller Sr is thought to be the wealthiest American ever and probably the richest person in modern history. Beginning as an assistant bookkeeper at age 16 and subsequently trying out a number of different business in his late teens and early 20s, he went on to found Standard Oil in 1870. In 1911, the US Supreme Court broke up the company into 34 smaller companies, ruling that Standard Oil was in violation of anti-trust laws. The upshot was that each company doubled or tripled in value, making John Rockefeller the first billionaire and eventually making him worth $418 billion in 2019 dollars (inflation-adjusted) as of 1913. Rockefeller spent the last 40 years of his life as a philanthropist, creating foundations that benefited medicine, education, and scientific research. He was also the founder of the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University and funded the establishment of Central Philippine University in the Philippines, taught Sunday school at his Baptist church as well as serving as a trustee, clerk, and occasional janitor at the church. One of his favorite sayings was: "The growth of a large business is merely a survival of the fittest," he was a staunch supporter of capitalism. Is it any wonder? He was married and he and his wife, who died in 1915, had 5 children.