John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in a farm close to Cleveland, Ohio. Rockefeller was extremely religious and believed God would repay those men who deserved it. He contained a lust for money since he was a child. Rockefeller was schooled for three years and then set out to earn his fortune. His working career started when he worked as an accountant at the age of 16. He learned many things about business that he would use later in his own company. Rockefeller disliked public attention, waste and disorder. He never seemed like a happy man but only when he made a profitable deal.
Rockefeller’s business, the Standard Oil Company, started in 1863 when he constructed a refinery along with Maurice B. Clark. It produced kerosene and naphtha. Like a true businessman, Rockefeller kept investing his dividends for even more profit. Rockefeller started up the latter of business here. This was also where he took one of his first steps in Social Darwinism. This would only excel. They soon formed a partnership with Samuel Andrews, an intelligent mechanist. In 1855 oil was found to contain many uses, which sparked a massive well digging spree. Investors and company executives made huge amounts of money. By 1862 oil wells were producing 3 million barrels a day. Before Rockefeller dominated the entire oil market, the oil prices were changing daily and drastically. He decided to totally control every aspect of production in order to make more of a profit. In order to disguise the massive dividends Standard Oil Company was making, they put it into capital goods. This, once again, illustrates the fact of his undying need to be at the top. It is a move to defend him against any competitors, or a fight of the survival of the fittest.
Employees of Rockefeller were required to give information concerning the transport of goods. He checked all areas of his business by planting spies with it. Rockefeller had a special relationship with railroad companies. Many times these companies gave information about rival companies to Rockefeller. These railroad companies also gave preferred rates to him, therefore increasing his profits once again. This immediately wiped out smaller companies who could not keep up with these inflating prices.
Rockefeller decided to put together all his resources and founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870. Two years later a leak went through oil regions that the oil companies were scheming with railroad companies. This was in fact true and Rockefeller’s company lost many workers to demonstrations for a while.
In 1872, oil pipelines came into practical use and Rockefeller bought into this immediately. In three years he owned half the pipelines in existence. In 1875 a revolutionary distillation process was found. This increased the output of oil from a refinery greatly. This resulted in Rockefeller’s decision to focus efforts on three major refineries. This was done to ensure the most money would be generated. In Rockefeller’s business he saved everything and always made a profit. When the price of oil would go down, he would buy barrels for cheaper in order to maintain a profit. Also in 1875, Rockefeller toured the country to find companies to merge with. This was done by convincing them they were about to join a business that would control the entire oil industry. He successfully joined 15 major refineries and 80 percent of the entire market. For the smaller companies he often swindled them out of raw materials or necessities of their business. This eventually led to an 1879 ruling that Rockefeller was conspiring to monopoly. After he controlled the refining industry he aimed his sights at the retailing industry. By 1881, his forty companies he had taken over were contained in an alliance. A colleague of Rockefeller’s suggested a trust to be formed. Dividends would be presented to shareholders of the trust. This was in all meaning of the word, a monopoly. In 1911 the Standard Oil Company was found to have been in violation of the 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act. This resulted in the breaking up of the Standard Oil Company.
In 1896 Rockefeller officially discontinued his position of running his company by daily activities. He proceeded to give his money away to worthy causes. Among these causes were the Baptist church, African-American churches and foreign Sunday school. He also contributed to the University of Chicago.
By the methods and means of accumulation of wealth, he is the true businessman as compared to every organization. He dominated the market in every way possible. In this way he was one step ahead of every other company as far as Social Darwinism is concerned. He was the best fit for survival.