Rockefeller  Religion was a guiding force throughout his life, and Rockefeller believed it to be the source of his success. Rockefeller was also considered a supporter of capitalism based on a perspective of social Darwinism, and is often quoted as saying "The growth of a large business is merely a survival of the fittest.“ Despite this, he gave millions and millions to charity. He created universities, public health groups, and his money is largely responsible for eradicating hookworm and malaria.

James Buchanan Duke December 23, 1856 – October 10, 1925 His father was a tenant farmer who got rich on tobacco. He inherited the company and was the first tobacco company to use a cigarette rolling machine. He created the American tobacco Company which conquered markets overseas as well. They also began the first power companies in North Carolina (Duke Progress energy anyone?) He gave approximately $107 million to his Duke endowment. (equivalent to 1.4 billion today)

Marshall Field

Marshall Field Moved to Chicago in 1856. The City was a small, but booming city at the time. He opened a dry goods store with two of Chicago’s other founders, Levi Leiter and Potter Palmer. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 he opened his own store, Marshall Field & Company. Marshall Field & Company was the first NICE store in Chicago, the father of modern department stores. It was pretty, they gave unconditional refunds, the sales people were nice and didn’t try to pressure people, and the adage, “the customer is always right” came from them. He was completely against unionization or protection of workers. He fought against any organization of workers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Leland Stanford He was one of California’s founding fathers Came over in the Gold Rush to run a family store for miners Got rich, bought into Railroads, Wells Fargo, Steamships to Japan and China. Brought horse racing to California Was governor and senator for California Built Stanford University and the first teacher’s college in San José, California.

J. P. Morgan Born into a fancy family in Connecticut. His father was already a banker and financier when he was born He continued in his father’s footsteps as a banker, but also began restructuring failing businesses to make them profitable. He financed some of the most important businesses in the 19th century, like US Steel The New York Times A T & T International Harvester General Electric

Henry Clay Frick Famous for coke production- take substandard coal, burn off impurities and you get coke, a fuel with a much higher burning temperature so you can use it to make steel and other things which require a higher temperature. He and his friends had companies in Western Pennsylvania, a rich coal region. They grossly underpaid their workers and treated them really poorly. When people attempted to organize or improve working conditions he was know to be a union buster who would resort to violent means to keep control. An anarchist named Alexander Berkman tried to assassinate him and failed.

Charles M Schwab Got his start working for Andrew Carnegie Western Pennsylvania was a perfect area for massive steel production Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers Coal production Immigrant labor force-work cheap No other jobs

Charles M Schwab Under his leadership, Bethlehem Steel became the second largest steel maker in America. He began production of the ‘H beam’ which led to the building of skyscrapers. Bethlehem, PA was a ‘company town’ and he kept unions out his whole life. He lived fast, gambling, partying, having mistresses and illegitimate children. He spent most of his fortune, estimated at between $25 million and $40 million. Adjusted for inflation, that equates to between $500 million and $800 million in the first decade of the 21st century. The Great Depression bankrupted him.

Andrew W Mellon Like Schwab and Frick, his fortunes were made in Western PA. He had a lumber and coal business, then got into banking, then oil, steel, ship building and construction. He financed companies that started the aluminum business and those that found uses for the byproducts of coal and steel production. He also served as secretary of the Treasury immediately before the Depression. His tax policies and efforts to pay down the national debt were seen as part of the problem and was almost impeached.