John D. Rockefeller: American Experience

John D. Rockefeller: American Experience

For decades, the Rockefeller name was despised in America — associated with John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s feared monopoly, Standard Oil. By the end of his life, Rockefeller had given away half his fortune — but even his philanthropy couldn’t erase the memory of his predatory business practices. His only son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., dedicated his life to recasting the family image. In the quest for redemption and respectability, Junior gave away hundreds of millions of dollars and insisted that his children behave impeccably. When he died at age 86, he left his six children and 22 grandchildren an invaluable inheritance: a name that stood for “the well-being of mankind.”

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