The family whose Standard Oil fortune made the first American billionaire — and funded a century of philanthropy.
John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870 and built it into a near-monopoly that made him the richest American of his age — and, by many measures, one of the wealthiest people in modern history.
The family turned its fortune toward large-scale philanthropy, founding the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and Rockefeller University, and later produced political and financial leaders across generations.
The Rockefeller name became synonymous with both immense wealth and organized philanthropy that shaped medicine, science, and education. Descendants included Nelson Rockefeller, U.S. Vice President and Governor of New York, and Senator Jay Rockefeller.
Rockefeller Center and countless institutions carry the family name.
The Rockefeller family is based in New York. One of the wealthiest and most philanthropic families in American history
1870.
John D. Rockefeller — founder of Standard Oil; first American billionaire
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