You Killed My Father’s Business




I’ve visualized Ida Tarbell pouring over documents detailing the intricate workings of a crazed mind, seeing the thought process of a psychopath who believed he had the right and divine edict to bully smaller owners/operators of refineries and freight companies to either join his organization, sell to him, or be driven out of business and economically ruined by the corporate raising of prices on their day-to-day operations.Rockefeller believed he had all of the above-listed rights to discard and move to the side companies that stood in his way. His first scheme of monopoly and consolidation of multiple refineries and freight interests was stymied by public outcry and governmental legislation. Rockefeller was upset about the government-mandated breakup of his beloved monopoly Refiners Association under the oversight of The Southern Improvement Company, but he took notes and learned from his experience and renewed his goal of the consolidation of railroad companies and oil fields as his heavenly-mandated mission. Governmental laws, ordinances, regulations, and labor strikes were merely obstacles to either be avoided, ignored, or obliterated through influence, bribes, or threats. His goals “were pure” so his methods could never be wrong.God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God. to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. Having been endowed with the gift I possess; I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience. -John D Rockefeller It helps to start out with a conscience, but that’s just me. The collapse of his Southern Improvement Company was a disaster on his end. There are always opportunities to make a profit from disasters, but one has to be able to see the angle and our man, Rockefeller was one with the angles.