When it comes to titans of industry, it is difficult to imagine someone more influential than John D Rockefeller. At one point he was the richest man in the world and held almost 3% of the American GDP. From a humble beginning, John was a hard worker who happened to be in the right place when oil was discovered in western Pennsylvania. His company, Standard Oil, became the predecessor to many famous oil and gasoline companies that are still going strong today.
A deeply religious man, John D Rockefeller was conflicted between his will to win at business and his desire to do good in the world. He was often criticized for his hard-ball business tactics, but did that mean he was an evil monopolist?
In this episode, we take a look at an American icon - from his youth as the son of a con man - to his life as the richest man in the world - to his pioneering techniques in the world of philanthropy.

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Dirt Nap City is the podcast about the most interesting dead people in history.
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