was rockeffeller a really such a bad guy

Well, he crushed competition and ruined men's lives who would not join him, and heralded the way for monopolization and a corporatism which bought off government and destroyed free enterprise for those who were not the mega-corporations, not to mention practices which were none too generous to workers. Was he alone, no. Was he the first, no, as you have the barons of the railroad and mining giants and so forth. But he was one of the Big Boys come the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

I don't think he's the most hated man in America now, and he did manage to reform him image in I believe the 1920's (basically in a series of filmed photo-ops which were highly fake, but that was not known to the public, and after which he'd hand out a "Rockefeller Dime". He also handed out those dimes at public appearances not filmed. I recall one film which purported to show his first plane ride and Rockefeller was never actually in the plane; they just filmed it taking off.)
 
Yes, he was a ruthless competitor who tried to monopolize the oil industry in the U.S. He failed due to government intervention and competitors who survived his attacks.
On the positive side he founded and funded three great educational institutions: The University of Chicago, Rockefeller University in NYC for medical research and Spelman College in Atlanta, one of the only colleges for black women of that time (Spelman was his wife's maiden name).
Both John D. and his wife were very religious and from abolitionist backrounds so much of the Rockefeller fortune was used by the Rockefeller Foundation on religious, educational and health projects in the American South.
I recommend "Titan" by Ron Chernow as a balanced view of John D. Rockefeller and both the bad and good he did in his lifetime and the continuing effects of his fortune even today.
 
Actually, I remember hearing a sermon (it was by a former pastor of the church invited back for that Sunday), that was full of anecdotes including one about how wonderful and Christian Rockefeller was a kid. (and ?Andrew Carnegie?). I'm sitting there and thinking !?!?!?

Obviously the PR machines that those guys ran once they'd made their money by starving and stealing from widows etc. was incredibly effective. John D. Rockefeller SERIOUSLY presented as a model of Christian charity just totally blew my mind, but I didn't hear anyone else complain...
 
Yes, he was a ruthless competitor who tried to monopolize the oil industry in the U.S. He failed due to government intervention and competitors who survived his attacks.

Well standard oil pretty much had a monopoly on refining, it was on a cusp of one for oil transport via rail or pipelines, and it owned a sizable but not overwhelming share of Americas oil fields.

Personally I consider Rockefeller to be a pretty bad guy considering how he treated his workers, and how he was perfectly willing to use bribery and sabotage to undermine his competitors.
 

The Vulture

Banned
IIRC, Rockefeller did feel tremendous guilt over some of his actions and did reach out to some of the people he messed up financially (helping them find other jobs and such). I mean, he was by no means a saint in his business dealings; but I don't think it's entirely right to paint him as a gleefully decadent capitalist bent on destroying as many lives as possible.

He's a complicated man, and no one understands him but his women. Okay, that was Shaft, rather than Rockefeller.
 
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