Just the Average Billionaires
by Natalie Herklotz 7th period
When?
Ex: John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and John Jacob Astor.
Just because many gained their wealth in the Gilded Ages, doesn't mean you can't earn your wealth now!
What were they involved in? and what can you do to become wealthy?
Examples of billionaires jobs:
- John D. Rockefeller (the wealthiest man EVER)- he bought most of the oil refiners in the United States, eventually they were spilt into smaller companies like, ExxonMobil, Conoco, Chevron, etc.
- John Jacob Astor- was a leading fur trader, and built a monopoly.
- Frederick Weyerhaeuser- he started a lumber company when demand was high, and most of the supply was located on his property.
- Andrew/Richard W. Mellon- financed the Aluminium Company of America and the Gulf Oil
- Bill Gates- Bought the rights to a operating system, which then turned into a monopoly and created Microsoft program
Though most of the wealthy earned their fortune through monopolies and using the demands of the public to build a company, you can still use these same tactics to get money!
What kind of character?
The Billionaires who honestly earned there fortunes include....
1. John D. Rockefeller: He bought many oil refiners, but did not scam the public in anyway
2. Andrew Carnegie: The demand for steel was very high, and even distributed his profits once he was wealthy.
3. William Weightman- He earned his money by manufacturing quinine sulfate, which later was used to treat malaria
And The Ones Who Cheated Their Way Into Money:
1. Cornelius Vanderbilt: He cheated competitors by making illegal trip across the New York Bay, his rivals had to pay him to stay of their waters.
2. Jay Gould: He manipulated stock and bribed New York Legislature members while he was in a fight against Vanderbilt about the Erie Railroad