John D. Rockefeller was born in 1839 in Richford, New York, to a family of contrasting influences. His father, William "Bill" Avery Rockefeller, was a flamboyant and absentee "snake-oil" salesman, while his mother, Eliza Davison, was a pious, straitlaced Baptist who instilled in him the virtues of frugality and discipline. This upbringing created a unique psychological blend: Rockefeller developed his father’s "predatory" business instincts and his mother’s unwavering religious devotion. The Rise of Standard Oil
Rockefeller entered the business world at 16 as an assistant bookkeeper in Cleveland. By 1870, he co-founded the , which would eventually control nearly 90% of the American oil market. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. - Amazon.com Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Ron Chernow’s Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1998) is a comprehensive biography that provides a balanced, psychologically insightful portrait of history's first billionaire. Drawing on unrestricted access to Rockefeller’s personal papers, Chernow explores the dual nature of a man who was simultaneously a "rapacious robber baron" and a "saintly philanthropist". Early Life and Origins John D