John D. Rockefeller may well be considered one of the most successful business tycoons to ever walk the planet, and a prime example of the typical definition of a successful entrepreneur. He established many firsts in the business world, the most important being the first to establish a “trust” in America and it can also be said that he inspired monopolization when it comes to business. Although he was known for his risky and aggressive business decisions, Rockefeller was also widely known for his philanthropic acts; in a way, he defined what is now known as modern philanthropy. Aside from the fact that he was very successful with his business, his strong will combined with his tender heart is why his story is one of the best entrepreneur stories of all time.

John D. Rockefeller was born in New York and was the second of six children. He was part of a religious Baptist family and was a serious boy growing up. From a young age, he already had the material of a great businessman. He liked math, enjoyed accounting, and was a very organized person. He also excelled in debates and had no problem getting his point across.

At the age of 16, Rockefeller got his first job as a bookkeeper. It was here in this job that he developed and refined the intricacies, methods, and systems needed to run a successful business. His innate organizational qualities paid off in his work; he was a very detail oriented employee and was very good at financial matters. He was able to save quite a few dollars from his job as a bookkeeping assistant, and even at this young age, he usually dedicated a percentage of his salary to donating to charities and foundations.

After being exposed to the business world, Rockefeller along with Clark began to set up their own company; Rockefeller was 19 years old when this happened. They both worked very hard and it finally paid off to allow them to earn several thousand. After a while, his company moved into refineries. This was the biggest success of his, after several years they became the largest refinery in Cleveland. the Standard Oil Company was born; this was a business venture that Rockefeller started with his brother and other partners. He was very competitive and made strong decisions to buy other oil refinery companies. In fact, after several years, Rockefeller was able to monopolize the oil industry in the United States.

At the height of his business, Rockefeller was worth approximately $1 billion. The best thing about Rockefeller is that even though he was widely known for making aggressive decisions when it came to his business, he was still soft-hearted about helping people. He never lost the desire to help and share what he has. He was a great businessman, but also a philanthropist at heart. He was passionate about causes that could uplift humanity in any way possible; be it for education, health or anything else, he would always be willing to help.

It is undeniable that John D. Rockefeller has contributed so much to the United States. He was able to revolutionize and inspire different aspects of the business. Apart from that, he was also able to contribute a great deal to charitable causes in the latter part of his life. His entrepreneurial genius is always something to be inspired by and a great example of the true definition of a successful entrepreneur.