How Is John D Rockefeller Successful

John D Rockefeller of New York is best known today as one of the most successful businessman in American history. Like most successful figures in history, Rockefeller was not born into his fortune. Originally a New York native, young Rockefeller relocated to Cleveland, Ohio in the 1860s, where he soon became involved with the oil fields in western Pennsylvania. After spending some time in the business, Rockefeller decided that it was too risky and his talents would be better suited in the refining business. Shortly after, Rockefeller found himself thriving with success and was ready to “strike out on his own”. In 1870, with the help of Samuel Andrews and H.M. Flagler, the men pooled their interests together to form the Standard Oil Company of Ohio. It was not long thereafter that their new business became the largest refiner in the country. However, as the oil industry
Rockefeller was a man who always had a “leg up”, so he knew what his competitors were or were not generating as profit. Making this known to his fellow oil men in Cleveland, he graciously offered to buy their businesses out, saving them from a great loss. This worked so well that by 1879 Standard Oil was in control of approximately 90 percent of the entire oil industry. While it might seem that Rockefeller built his fortune on bargaining, negotiations and scheming, he did use other business tactics to help further his company. Like most great business persons, at the forefront of Rockefeller's mind was always, “How can I maximize my profit?”, it is apparent that all of the methods he used reflected that. One of several business tactics Rockefeller is known for is vertical integration. Whether it be huge or minute, Rockefeller wanted ownership of all things manufactured related to his oil business. Vertical integration allowed him to solely make profit without any money going