John Davison Rockefeller, Sr. (July 8, 1839 –May 23, 1937) was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of modern philanthropy. In 1870, Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company and ran it until he retired in the late 1890s. Standard Oil began as an Ohio partnership formed by John D. Rockefeller, his brother William Rockefeller, Henry Flagler, chemist Samuel Andrews, and a silent partner Stephen V. Harkness. Rockefeller kept his stock and as gasoline grew in importance, his wealth soared and he became the world's richest man and first U.S. dollar billionaire, and is often regarded as the richest person in history.

Here are some of his "wise words":

"A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship"
John D. Rockefeller

"Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It's to see my dividends coming in"
John D. Rockefeller

"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great"
John D. Rockefeller

"Don't blame the marketing department. The buck stops with the chief executive"
John D. Rockefeller

"Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty"
John D. Rockefeller

"Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people"
John D. Rockefeller

"I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity"
John D. Rockefeller

"I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"
John D. Rockefeller

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature"
John D. Rockefeller

"I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people's efforts than 100% of my own efforts"
John D. Rockefeller

"If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success"
John D. Rockefeller

"Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing"
John D. Rockefeller

"Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim"
John D. Rockefeller

"The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun"
John D. Rockefeller

"The most important thing for a young man is to establish a credit... a reputation, character"
John D. Rockefeller

"The only question with wealth is, what do you do with it?"
John D. Rockefeller

"The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets"
John D. Rockefeller