The Most Ruthless Business Man in History by Trevor

The Most Ruthless Business Man in History by Trevor - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Walking into a dining room almost as large as a house, I am directed to take a seat at a long cedar dinner table stretched out, deep burgundy curtains hanging from the windows, a golden chandelier gently swinging overhead. Waiters dressed in jet black suits are waiting respectfully and fearfully for any command. The chairs are laced with gold. I can hear the chefs frantically working from the kitchen behind a swinging door. The butler pulls a chair out for me. Sitting across from me in a well-pressed, black pin striped suit, with a richly colored floral print tie, is a man with good posture. Through his gold, wire rimmed glasses, his eyes are calculating, his face stern. It almost appears as if he sees through my every thought. His presence emanates power and superiority. This is John D Rockefeller: the richest man in United States history. Observing his wealth, I think back and remember this wasn’t always his life.

Rockefeller started as a small time businessman in Ohio with a single oil factory which he shared with his brother, William. Struggling to provide for his family, Rockefeller was eventually saved by a wealthy entrepreneur named Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt understood the future importance of oil and realized how profitable the transportation industry would eventually be. Therefore, he made it his mission to own the majority of America’s railroads. Both men entered into a partnership and began to ship oil across the nation. However, America began demanding more oil than Rockefeller could produce. Through this economic pressure, Rockefeller began buying out his competitors to maximize his profits, and soon after, he became the first American to make a billion dollars.

There are countless historical figures who would compete for my interest. However, I especially love self-made people because I understand every path to success has many obstacles. It intrigues me to learn about the ways in which influential figures such as Rockefeller overcame these challenges. Rockefeller embodies self-success as he as a lowly oil factory owner became an asset of Cornelius Vanderbilt to then becoming a ruthless tycoon, and inevitably, the richest man in America.

As Rockefeller looks across the table, countless questions come to mind about his extraordinary story. Did he ever consider leaving the oil business when his factory was failing? Did he always strive to be more powerful than Vanderbilt? Did he have any questions about his personal morals when he started forcing companies into bankruptcy? Where did the idea come from to build a system of pipelines weaving throughout America? How did he know it would work? What motivated him to keep going? Was it his wife and kids? Or was it lust for power?

At one point, this juggernaut of history was unimportant; Rockefeller was the one who had to look at Cornelius and be considered just another civilian. I know that I had to ask the right question. The one that will grab his attention and earn his respect. The one that will make him see me as more than just another person to profit from. I wonder if he knows how unimportant he makes people feel. Just from being in the same room as him, I realize what true power is. But I can’t worry about that now because I must build up the courage to speak with the most ruthless business man in American history.