The World's First Billionaire's Dark Secrets

John D. Rockefeller was born in New York to William Rockefeller, a con man who sold

fake miracle cures. In 1870, John founded Standard Oil, seizing the growing

oil demand. Via aggressive tactics, secret deals, and the elimination of rivals,

he built a monopoly that controlled nearly 90% of US oil production, making Standard

Oil the most dominant corporation in the world. By the time antitrust laws forced the

company's breakup in 1911, Rockefeller had already become the world's first billionaire

and one of the richest people in history with a fortune equivalent to over $300 billion today.

Despite the public outrage over his ruthless business methods, he turned much of