The First Billionaire in the world: John D. Rockefeller

John Davison Rockefeller

John Davison Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy. In 1870, he founded Standard Oil Company and aggressively ran it until he officially retired in 1897.
Rockefeller founded Standard Oil as an Ohio partnership with his brother William along with Henry Flagler, Jabez Bostwick, chemist Samuel Andrews, and a silent partner, Stephen V. Harkness. As kerosene and gasoline grew in importance, Rockefeller's wealth soared and he became the world's richest man and the first American worth more than a billion dollars.Adjusting for inflation, he is often regarded as the richest person in history

Born                       July 8, 1839,Richford, New York, U.S.
Died                       May 23, 1937 (aged 97),The Casements,
                               Ormond Beach, Florida, United States
Resting place         Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland,
                               Ohio, United States
Nationality            American
Occupation            Founder and former chairman of the Standard Oil Company
                               Founder of the University of Chicago and Rockefeller University
                               Funded the establishment ofCentral Philippine University
                               Founder of the General Education Board
                               Founder of the Rockefeller Foundation
Net worth              $663.4 billion in 2007 dollars, according to List of wealthiest historical figures,

                               based on information from Forbes – February 2008.
Religion                 Baptist