Rockefellers and Rothschilds. We periodically hear these names in conversations about untold wealth, incredible success and major banking activities. Usually they are pronounced with envy, even malice, less often with admiration and respect. But they are never mentioned in a calm tone. So who are these mysterious oligarchs who made the whole world talk about themselves? And most importantly, what can we learn from these, of course, outstanding people in order to develop our business?
The Rockefellers, Rothschilds, and, much lesser known, the Morgans, are among the wealthiest families in the world, dealing banking, oil industry and gold, politics. Starting low enough financial level, these dynasties achieved colossal successes.
This article will consider the official version, their economic achievements, financial, tactical and strategic finds, "military tricks". Conspiracy theories, secret governments, we will not touch. The families mentioned above can serve as teachers in terms of economic planning, the ability to feel global trends, invest in promising directions keep family ties. Some of their representatives require special attention, for example, the founder of the Rockefeller dynasty, John Davison Rockefeller, the talented cunning Nathan Rothschild, as well as the tough businessman and art collector John Pierpont Morgan I.
most famous family is, of course, the Rockefeller family. It is this surname that has now become synonymous with wealth.
The founder of the dynasty is John Davison Rockefeller - a very outstanding personality. Born into a poor family of French immigrants, he used to work hard from early childhood. In, and at the age of 13, he lent his first money. At the same time, the future millionaire went to school, where, according to him, it was very difficult for him, and he had to study hard. John also learned from his parents, primarily from his father, who, according to the recollections of the future millionaire, “taught me how to buy and sell ... just“ coached ”me to get rich.” He owes his mother discipline and diligence.
Putting practice over theory, Rockefeller dropped out of college and, after a short course, first got a job as an employee, and then began to engage in entrepreneurship. This, at first glance, the wrong decision turned out to be successful. Thanks to his sociability and hard work, John, starting in 1857 as an assistant accountant, to the manager of the company. And already in 1870, Rockefeller made the right strategic decision by founding the successful Standard Oil, as a result of becoming the first dollar millionaire in the history of mankind. By the end of his life, his fortune was already estimated at 1.4 billion dollars. at the prices of 37 years. At present, his capital would be equivalent to almost $200 billion. Rockefeller's main strategy was to buy up small oil companies, often on mutually beneficial terms, which became part of his global Standard Oil empire. It was also a smart move to get discounts on the delivery of his oil.
John Davison Rockefeller donated huge sums for charity, research medical programs and the Baptist Church to which he himself belonged. He founded two Universities: Chicago and Rockefeller. Philosophically approached the construction of capital, he believed that money should be made not for the money itself, but for good social purposes, also noting that if a person has a goal - he will never get rich. John Rockefeller was always proud of his upbringing and morality, considering perseverance and perseverance as the main qualities.
History of Rockefellers and Rothschilds would be incomplete without a story about the upbringing of children by Rockefeller. The millionaire brought up his main heir, John Rockefeller Jr., in strictness and high moral principles. For housework, little John received a small salary. High marks were rewarded in the same way. But for faults, for example, for being late for breakfast, fines could be assigned.The children of the rich man worked in the garden and chopped wood, for which they also received a salary. Each child was required to keep a book of income and expenses.
This is interesting: in the Rockefeller family there was a clear price list for the work performed by children. A swatted fly cost two cents. For giving up sweets for the whole day was also paid two cents, and for each subsequent day - already 10 cents.
This manner of upbringing helped his son, and later other descendants, not only preserve, but also increase the Rockefeller capital despite the antitrust laws adopted in the United States, which complicate the life of financial empires. The descendants of Rockefeller successfully participated in the political life of the country (Nelson Rockefeller even served as Vice President of the United States from 1974-1977 and twice ran for president), representing the interests of his dynasty.
Nelson Rockefeller - one of the most politically successful representatives of the Rockefeller dynasty
The eternal economic enemies and rivals of the Rockefellers - the Rothschilds were German Jews involved in usury. Starting your economic activity at the end of the 18th century, by the 19th century they had the largest capital in history. The Rothschild family business was born at a not very favorable time for them - Jewish pogroms began to occur in Germany. Nevertheless, the founder of the Mayer dynasty, Amschel Rothschild, having made competent steps, laid the foundation for another rich and controversial family. Effective strategic decisions include expanding the sphere of influence by “business trip” of sons to the capitals of European countries, the possibility of establishing separate companies by family members, as well as marriages of convenience. One of the main features of the Rothschild family was friendship with the crowned persons.. The first step in this direction was taken by Mayer Amschel, who became friends over a game of chess with Prince Wilhelm of Austria-Hungary. Subsequently, already at the beginning of the 19th century, the Rothschilds received the title of barons from the Austrian monarch Franz II.
One of the most prominent figures in history was Mayer Amschel's son Nathan Rothschild, the founder of the English branch of the dynasty. Using virtually undercover intelligence networks and military tricks, he increased the already large capital of the dynasty. Moreover, other members of the Rothschild family also took part in building the agent network.
An interesting, and even funny, case was when, after the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, Nathan, who was lending to the opponents of the French emperor, appeared on the stock exchange with a sad look and began to sell. Naturally, everyone thought that Napoleon had won and rushed to sell after him. After significant lower prices for the bonds of the British government, Nathan bought them through nominees.
In addition to cunning, Nathan Rothschild was known for his ability to work and could work around the clock.
One of the distinguishing features of the Rothschilds is their desire for "invisibility" and "silence", which is probably why their name is much less widely heard than the Rockefellers. In their family, it was customary for everyone to work for the common good, for example, little daughters Mayer Amschel recorded financial information in ledgers. The success of the dynasty led to the fact that members of the Rothschild family were elected to the English House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The history of the Morgans is much less known than History of Rockefellers and Rothschilds. The family traces its lineage to the pirate Henry Morgan the Cruel, who lived in the 17th century and later became the governor of Jamaica. However, since during the formation of financial and industrial dynasties it was customary to have serious and sometimes shocking roots, the version with a pirate is not completely reliable. For example, according to another researcher, the ancestor of the Morgans is King David I of Scotland.
The dynasty was founded by Junius Spencer Morgan, but it was most developed under his son, the legendary John Pierpont (in another transcription of Pierrepoint) Morgan Sr. Nevertheless, at first, John learned a lot from his father.
The Morgans made huge fortunes during and after the wars. For example, during the American Civil War, "pirates" were engaged in military supplies, on which they earned enormous money. After the end of the war in the United States, an economic boom began, which the Morgans successfully took advantage of, attracting British capital for construction industrial enterprises and railways. During the First World War, the Morgan dynasty successfully sold military ammunition to the Entente countries, and after that they participated in the restoration of Germany. During World War II war, they made the most profit on the arms race. After graduation, the Morgans were active financial activities in the colonies of England, defeated by Germany and Japan.
The Morgans were actively engaged in acquisitions of firms, banks and enterprises, due to which the dynasty incredibly increased its power in the 30s of the twentieth century. That is how, by the method of acquisitions, the legendary company General Motors was created by John Pierpont Morgan Sr.
In addition to banking, industry and railroads, the Morgans were also involved in the film industry. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Morgan dynasty began to occupy a leading position among the financial magnates of the United States. Like the Rothschilds and Rockefeller Amy, the Morgans tried to be friends with kings and other powerful people of this world, for example, they visited the residences of British monarchs. Prior to the Second World War, the dynasty of "pirates" began to grow closely with the American government. But they achieved a special unity after the war.The financial interest of the Morgans is not limited to the United States, their sphere of influence extends to England and France, and close ties are maintained with the Vatican.
The family was famous for its continuity and respect for its older members. John Pierpont Morgan Jr opened an English department commercial bank, headed by his grandfather, Junius Spencer Morgan. He also founded a library named after his father, Pierpont the Elder, which included a huge number of manuscripts, papyri, old and rare books.
The Morgans have a reputation tough and cynical entrepreneurs who made their fortune on bribery, speculation, exploitation of workers. However, John Morgan averted a banking crisis in 1907 and also donated funds to Harvard Medical School and other charities. The Morgans are renowned collectors of books, paintings, and other art.
Having analyzed history of Rockefellers and Rothschilds and their most prominent family members, patterns can be identified that can help you in your business. What you need to do to become like the "Rockefellers":
Interested in culture, art, read a lot
Work hard and hard
Be a patron and philanthropist
Make friends with the powers that be
Strive for big companies, not small ones. To unite, not to separate
Be able to "foresee" prospects, as well as think strategically
By following these seemingly simple rules, as well as by studying the biographies and memoirs of great entrepreneurs, you will significantly increase your personal effectiveness. Who knows, maybe it is you who will have to create another, this time the Russian dynasty, which in the future will inspire respect, fear and envy, just like in history of the Rockefellers andRothschild.
Or the Vanderbilts seem unusual and mysterious. Sometimes it's hard to believe how people manage to put together such "combinations". The Rothschild family over the years has been increasing not only their capital, but also their power.
Heine, paraphrasing the Qur'an, said:
“Money is the God of our time, and Rothschild is his prophet.
For 200 years, representatives of the great clan have been practicing family marriages. The information and capital of the family do not scatter, because in their dynasty every 2nd wedding is related. The size of their capital impresses even modern ones.
In Europe of the 19th century they said: “Rich as Rothschild ».
The history of the Rothschilds began with a simple Jewish boy Mayer Amschel from Frankfurt. His family was engaged in trade. After the death of his father, the guy immediately dropped out of school and began to look for work. The first attempts were unsuccessful. Mayer couldn't find a good job and went to the landfill. Among the rubbish, he looked for interesting things: coins that had gone out of circulation, worn medals, plaques and other rubbish. The guy cleaned the finds, gave them a marketable appearance and sold them to collectors.
The fame of the boy bypassed all lovers of antiquity. In 1750 he opened his own antique shop, renting a room in the tavern "Under the green lampshade". He spent money on rent, earned by his labor on the resale of discarded things.
The motto of the Rothschilds is “Concordia, Integritas, Industria” (“Consent, Honesty, Diligence”).
Germany at the end of the 18th century had many mini-states with their own coins. In the same tavern was opened first bank the houses of the Rothschilds, where merchants exchanged money from one German principality for another. Initially, the bank was located in a room with an area of 4 sq. meters. Receiving the proceeds from the currency exchange, Meyer bought up the shops of other money changers, which were on the verge of ruin. His antique business expanded.
Surname change
After some time, Mayer began to be called Rothschild. This is because someone's emblem hung over the door of his house, which depicts the family symbol in the form of a red coat of arms. In German it sounded like Rot Schild. The nickname quickly caught on and became the most respected in the city.
Mayer Rothschild collected several of the rarest collections of antiquities and greatly increased his material wealth. Rothschild sold his collections to aristocrats and one day met another obsessed collector who held the title of crown prince.
Every person who has collected a collection at least once knows how difficult it is to part with it. But Rothschild managed to overcome his passion and immediately after they met, gave Prince Friedrich Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Hannau his favorite collection. And not in vain, because the prince at that time was one of the richest people in Germany. Friedrich was struck by such generosity and disinterestedness, and he asked what the collector would like to receive in return. Mayer Amschel replied: "I do not need awards, I am ready to selflessly serve Your Majesty in the future."
Influential patrons
It was a turning point. Mayer was allowed to supply antiques from his shop in Hesse. After that, a new coat of arms appeared above the antique shop with a crown and the inscription: "Supplier of His Majesty's Court" . But the store was still called the Rothschild store. After that, the founder of the dynasty understood the importance of the "brand" and decided to take this sonorous surname for himself.
The guy's ingenuity was noticed, and the landgrave appointed him his personal banker. Later, he even began to trust him with his financial affairs. Mayer turned out to be good workers. He was able to attract Hessian officials and the nobility to cooperate. Soon, the tax collector Karl Friedrich Buderus (future Minister of Finance) became the main contributor to the Mayer-Amschel-Rothschild Trading House. After some time, he already provided the largest government loans.
Rothschild expanded his activities and influence. He decided to pass on some of the business to his sons. They started their career in 5 main European centers.
"Five fingers of one hand" - so called the sons of Rothschild.
eldest son Amschel Rothschild conducted the affairs of the ancestral home, managed a bank in Frankfurt (Germany). His work was the main one. He was childless, but introduced a tradition in the family - related marriages.
Solomon first moved to Paris, later to Vienna. Opened the bank S M von Rothschild and founded the Austrian branch of the dynasty.
Nathan- the head of the house. He moved to England to Manchester, later to London and engaged in the export of English cotton fabrics. In 1809 he became an English citizen and opened his own bank, N M Rothschild & Sons.
Kalman (Karl) moved to Naples, opened the bank C M de Rothschild & Figli, was a banker in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
James (Jacob) opened the company "de Rothschild Freres" in Paris, after the death of Nathan, headed the house. He had good relations with the Bourbons, and then with King Louis Philippe. He introduced the family into the era of industry, received the nickname "Great Baron" from the heirs.
About James: "arrived in Paris with one million francs, and left behind a fortune of 2 billion" newspaper Kölnische Zeitung.
The new banks lent money to Austria, Spain, Italy and the Vatican.
Possession of different branches of the dynasty:
English: owns the mining industry in South Africa, leaders in the oil industry and non-ferrous metallurgy. One of the largest is N M Rothschild & Sons. Its headquarters is in London. The bank has been operating for about 200 years.
French: owns the holding company Societe denvestisman du Nord and the bank Rothschild & Co. Also, representatives of the family own hundreds of medium-sized firms and trusts.
The remaining 3 dynasties ended:
In the 19th century, it was said that there were only 6 great empires in the world:Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria-Hungary and the Rothschilds.
The first idea: you can make money in war
The Napoleonic Wars had a positive effect on the enrichment of the family. Nathan was in London, where he bought gold bullion in large quantities from the East India Company. He didn't haggle, even if the prices seemed a little high.
At that time, the royal government was waiting for price reductions. The prolonged war has affected the rise in gold prices. The British authorities needed money to maintain the army and navy, especially Wellington's troops in Spain. There was no money in the treasury. Nathan offered the British gold. Its prices were slightly below market. Rothschild also promised to deliver funds to Wellington. This was important, since it was dangerous to transfer valuables by sea, and the passage through France seemed impossible.
Napoleon's government was confident that the British gold would remain in France. First, it moved from Foggy Albion to Paris. The French could not even imagine that the gold, remaining in the vaults of the Rothschild bank, could legally get to Spain, where it would be used by Wellington to support the army. James Rothschild received gold from Nathan and turned it into bills of exchange, which were subject to accounting in Spanish banks. Solomon and Charles traveled with bills to Spain, from where they returned with receipts from Wellington, who soon expelled the French from Spain.
Idea two: interest or land
Solomon stopped in Vienna. He invented the winning lottery in Austria and introduced winning loans. Loans have become popular among wealthy and ordinary citizens.
Solomon was under the patronage of Prince Metternich. He soon became the most successful banker in Austria-Hungary. Clients received money for long periods at moderate interest rates. The Rothschild family was not afraid to give out large sums, since the large landed estates of the nobility were the guarantor of the return of money. Obviously, the longer the repayment period, the higher the interest.
The financial empire grew. The family was known throughout Europe. The Austrian emperor appreciated the activities of the brothers and awarded them the title of imperial barons.
"Who owns the information, owns the world"
The year was 1815. Napoleon's revenge scared the whole of Europe. After the triumph of a hundred days, all participants stock exchanges could not imagine how the battle of Waterloo would end. It was decisive... Jacob and Nathan watched the battle from both sides. Naturally, their main "hobby" was the increase in family capital.
Convinced that Napoleon is losing the battle, Nathan rushes to London. In the morning, having arrived at the London Stock Exchange, he began to quickly sell his shares. He was considered a direct witness to the decisive battle. The panic affected other holders valuable papers English, Prussian and Austrian shares began to be released. Their value decreased every minute, but all these shares were bought by Rothschild agents.
Only the next day did they learn about the defeat of Napoleon at the stock exchange. But many holders of securities were no longer able to resume their activities. Nathan earned £40 million. The same trick was done by Jacob in Paris. Having received superprofits, the brothers no longer pursued easy money. The Rothschild clan began to invest in long-term projects.
1. Only together.
Mayer Amschel died in September 1812. Then Napoleon had not yet entered Moscow. In the will of the old Rothschild, the main section was not the section "movable and immovable", but the observance of the main rule of the family. The old man said that all business should be done in commonwealth and help each other. The brothers did the will of their father. They discussed and planned their affairs together.
Despite the fact that the brothers met every 3-4 years, they shared all the profits equally.
2. Relatives always come first.
The Rothschilds were located in different parts of Europe, so they could control the development of business in several countries at once. They quickly learned information, shared it among themselves and kept it in the strictest confidence. Their activities are thought out to the smallest detail, everything is put at the service of business. Even encryption experts could not decipher the family code. Who would have thought that the phrase "dried fish" from the correspondence intercepted by competitors meant money belonging to the Hessian prince.
3. Funding and support.
In the 70s of the XIX century, the Rothschild fortune was estimated at 1 billion dollars. Its representatives participated in all major projects. They financed the exploration of diamond mines in South Africa, the construction of railways in Europe and the Suez Canal, and the purchase of oil in Russia. The Rothschild dynasty became the most powerful and omnipotent in the world. Prussian kings, Austrian emperors and Russian tsars turned to its representatives for help.
And here is a photo of the castles of the family
Each baron gave advice to his heirs in his will. Many researchers saw in them a kind of mysticism.
The French millionaire Anselm wrote in his will that "prohibits the conduct of a judicial or public inventory of the inheritance, the intervention of the court and the disclosure of the size of the state" .
The eldest son of the founder of the Amschel dynasty left the following phrase to his descendants: "...Never forget that modesty leads to wealth" .
The main feature of all members of the clan is devotion to the idea of the family. There was not a single renegade in their family. Each generation invented new ways of earning money and increased the wealth of the family:
The 20th century was difficult for the family. This was influenced by two world wars, the confiscation of many properties, large inheritance taxes and other unpleasant factors. Despite all the obstacles, the Rothschild empire is today considered one of the largest in the world.
Thanks to the mighty family, the state of Israel was born . They financed the construction of most of the settlements.
The whole world was in shock, competitors tried to crush the empire, but all attempts were unsuccessful. Everyone needed their money, even the first persons of the states.
Disraeli once said: "The Rothschilds cannot be superfluous," and this is true.
Photo of the Rothschilds today
According to the most conservative estimates, the total wealth of the family today exceeds 3.2 TRILLION dollars! But not a single member of the family has a fortune of more than $1 billion.
What do the Rothschilds own in our time? List of family companies:
Relatives are the most reliable business partners. Many dynasties of the world have retained their power precisely because of blood kinship. Today the portal "ZagraNitsa" will tell about the most famous families planets that stick together and thus have an influence on world economy and politics
1The name Rockefeller has long been a household name and synonymous with wealth. The dynasty was glorified by John Rockefeller, an American entrepreneur who became the first dollar billionaire in the history of mankind. At the end of the 19th century, he created the oil company Standard Oil, and already in the 20th century, the activities of the Rockefeller family covered engineering, food, industrial, insurance and financial sphere. After the death of John Rockefeller, his only son, John Rockefeller, Jr., continued his business, and then his five grandchildren. The most famous of them was Nelson Rockefeller, an American politician who served as Vice President of the United States.
Photo: businessinsider.com.au
At the beginning of the 21st century, the number of members of the Rockefeller family was about 200 people, and many of them are engaged in business and political activities. Now their fortune is estimated at about $ 10 billion, thanks to which the family does not fall below the 20th line in the ranking of the richest in the world. The Rockefellers are still a dynasty that has influenced not only the world economy, but also politics.
The history of the Rothschild dynasty dates back to the end of the 18th century, and when the Austrian emperor granted them a baronial title at the beginning of the 19th century, the Rothschilds were ranked among the highest society of the Austrian nobility. Even then it was generally accepted that it was this family that owned the largest fortune in the world. It all started with the Jewish boy Mayer Amschel from Frankfurt, who first opened an antique shop where he sold coins found in a landfill, and then managed to build a large banking business and create your own empire. His business was continued by 5 sons - he sent them to the financial capitals of the world (London, Paris, Vienna, Naples, Frankfurt am Main), where they controlled five banks. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Rothschilds initiated the creation of the US Federal Reserve System and even managed to control the volume of dollar issuance. For centuries, the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers have shared power, and in 2012 they announced a merger of part of their capital.
Photo: keyword-suggestions.com
Although, like the Rockefellers, today the Rothschilds are not among the ten richest in the world, they still retain their influence. The family still manages the most famous central banks worldwide and does business in more than 40 countries. The Rothschilds regularly transfer significant amounts of money to charity, anonymously donate art to museums and donate huge mansions to states.
The Windsor dynasty has been ruling in Great Britain since the beginning of the 20th century, and in other states its members ascended the throne even earlier. For example, in Belgium, the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty (as the Windsors were called before the First World War) ruled from the very beginning of statehood - from 1831. If you follow the traditional genealogy, the Windsor dynasty should have ended with Elizabeth II, and her descendants should have belonged to the dynasty. But in 1952, the Queen signed a proclamation according to which all her heirs would also be considered Windsors.
Photo: ahlanlive.com Despite the fact that the political power in the UK is exercised by Parliament, the monarch is still the head of state. Moreover, the British royal family has earned such devotion from the people that any politician can only envy. In April of this year, the level of British confidence in Her Majesty was 74%.
The Oppenheimer family is one of the most influential in the world, since at one time they controlled a large share of the global diamond market. The family also owns the largest companies in various fields. The success of the dynasty began with the activities of Ernest Oppenheimer, who ran the De Beers diamond mining company and founded the Anglo American gold mining corporation. During the global crisis in the 1930s, Ernest Oppenheimer began buying up the diamond trading markets and by 1950 had founded the Central Selling Organization, referred to in the press as "The Syndicate". The organization led by Oppenheimer controlled 90% of diamond sales worldwide in the middle of the 20th century. The mined diamonds were delivered to London, where they were processed, sorted into small lots and sent to merchants.
Photo: dailymaverick.co.za After Ernest's death, his son Harry Frederick continued the business. He was president of De Beers for almost 30 years and ran Anglo American for a quarter of a century. In 2011, Anglo American bought most of De Beers' shares, thereby almost completely exiting the Oppenheimer business, while retaining a huge amount of capital. Ernest's grandson Niki is now engaged in business in other areas - investments in trade, healthcare, innovative technologies, etc.
The Morgan dynasty is one of the most influential in the United States and in the world. The family became famous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries thanks to their activities in the banking industry. John Pierpont Morgan built the first financial empire in the United States and had a hand in founding companies that continue to thrive today. Among them: the General Electric Corporation, which produces various types of equipment, the telecommunications company American Telephone and Telegraph, financial company Western Union and many others. Morgan and his son John Pierpont Jr. were widely known as the biggest patrons of the arts. They donated a large number of funds for the arts and the development of science. In particular, John Pierpont financed the Metropolitan Museum of Art and gave money to Nikola Tesla to build a lighting system in New York.
Photo: en.wikipedia.org The current members of the Morgan dynasty continue to run some of the companies founded by John Pierpont Morgan and work in finance.
The Walton family became famous thanks to Sam Walton, who founded the Wal-Mart and Sam's Club retail chains. In the 19th century, Sam Walton was considered the richest man in America for several years in a row, and today his family's fortune is estimated at around $ 150 billion. Already from 7 Sam Walton helped his father run the business for years, and a few years later he raised birds and rabbits for sale.He later opened his own store, and then a chain of retail supermarkets.Sam Walton made his first billion at 44 years old.
Photo: lifehealthpro.com After the death of Sam Walton, his business went to his wife and four children, who are still successfully running the business. Although the family does not control the entire stake in Wal-Mart, they retain the right to participate in decisions about the development of the business.
The Rupert family has every right to be called one of the most influential in the world, since it owns such well-known companies as Dunhill, Montblanc, Cartier and Richemont, which manufacture luxury products. The Ruperts also own the wine business together with the Rothschild family. Success came to the family in the middle of the last century, when Anthony Rupert founded the tobacco company Voorbrand. Later it was renamed Rembrandt Ltd, and the range of activities began to include the manufacture of luxury goods: jewelry, clothing and bags.
Photo: bloomberg.com The current CEO of Richemont is Anthony Rupert's son Johan. The company still owns the luxury goods business. The Ruperts also own private hospitals, the Medi-Clinic Corporation.
"Give me the right to issue and control the country's money, and I won't care who makes the laws!"
Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Oh, they stirred up the "hornet's nest" of a huge topic, well, listen ...
So, what is known on this controversial and controversial topic ( for critics, I remind you - this is a conspiracy theory, not an encyclopedia ) :
Medici, who became the glory of Florence and for several centuries intermarried with all the sovereign houses of Europe, began their careers rather modestly. They came from Mugello, a small village in the north of Tuscany, and were first small rural owners, and then moved to the city to engage in trade.
From the 13th century The Medici already occupy a worthy position among the Florentine burghers and acquire that coat of arms, which soon became so famous, and in the description of which it was stated: “There are six balls on the golden field. The upper one is azure with three golden lilies, the other five are scarlet *.
Knights or apothecaries?
Philip dv Kommin wrote: "I believe the Medici have the greatest trading house which has ever been in the whole world, "which, however, is not true, since the Bardi, who spread their nets to the very East, already at that time had a larger number of employees. Only splendor and luxury put the Medici above all others.
Genealogists have gone out of their way to prove, for generous rewards, that the famous Florentine bankers were descended from the paladin Averardo de' Medici, whom Charlemagne rewarded with his weapons for freeing the country from the giant Mugello. This, of course, must be treated with caution, since the very existence of this paladin is no more certain than the existence of the giant Mugello.
The most common belief (but equally unproven) is that the Medici originated as physicians, or most likely from apothecaries, and that the balls on their coat of arms depict nothing more than cough pills.
Cream from the left pot
No matter how the origin of the balls on the coat of arms of the Medici (in Italian, raye) is explained, in the internal strife of the city they became a symbol of supporters of this kind (raNeyazi). For a long time associated with the political life of Tuscany, the Medici constantly took the side of the people's party (popolan) against the rich). This noble, progressive and disinterested policy (as they would now say, left-wing orientation) in just a few years made them the most noble and richest patricians in Florence.
The first of this family to play an important role in the political life of the city were Averardo (or Evrard), a gonfalonier in 1314, and Salvestro, also a gonfalonier, who led a popular uprising against the Albizzi family and was ostracized for this.
It would be too long even briefly to describe the countless feats performed by the Medici family for the glory of Florence. It became famous both in military campaigns and in political clashes, and was always the first where not only their own affairs were decided, but also the affairs of the city. In the end, the Medici somehow imperceptibly ceased to distinguish one from the other.
Having very early extended the field of activity of their bank to the whole of Europe through a whole network of trading offices, they became the most famous among that new class of capitalists, which was already beginning to gain the upper hand over the old burgher patricianism.
The prestige of the Medici's enormous fortune and the relations they maintained with the rest of the world made it very easy for them to seize power in Florence.
First holding
Continuing to act as protectors of the people against the patricians, these cosmopolitan bankers, after some time spent in exile, eventually became the head of the Signoria.
In 1421, Giovanni Medici, nicknamed (Ts B1ss1, took up the position of gonfaloniere. This shrewd and dexterous politician managed, by correcting the city cadastre, to be useful to his fellow countrymen, not forgetting, however, about own income. It was he who organized a network of banks that laid the foundation for the power of his family.
The activities of the Medici differed significantly from what Peruzzi, Bardi and other Frescobaldi did, since from a legal point of view they did not have a single "company". They owned many small, theoretically independent companies, with its own special ledgers and its own capital. At the head of these "branches", scattered throughout Europe, were managers elected from shareholders who did not belong to the majority party. These first CEOs did not receive fixed salaries, their income depended on the profits of the bank. The Medici themselves, who were considered "chief partners", owned more than 50% of the shares, and therefore their family always remained the absolute owner of a gigantic, but at the same time extremely flexible enterprise.
***
Consolidation of the dynasty
Of all the achievements of Giovanni di Bicci, not the least was that he left behind two sons even smarter than himself. Cosimo and Lorenze were truly the creators of the greatness of the Medici family. Thanks to them, the descendants of the pharmacists from Mugello became the noblest people in Europe.
Cosimo or, as he was called, Cosmas the Elder, was the ancestor of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the Dukes of Nemours and Urbino, Popes Leo X and Clement VII, Alexander, Duke of Florence and Queen Catherine de Medici of France.
As for Lorenzo himself, among his descendants were several great dukes of Tuscany and the French queen Marie de Medici.
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Republican Dictator
Cosmas the Elder (1389-1464), after the death of his father, began to manage all the affairs of the family. The Albiz-chi, whose patrician power he was trying to destroy, expelled him from the city, but in 1432 he returned in triumph and, maintaining a republican form of government, established in effect his own dictatorship. Not agreeing to hold any official positions himself, he always arranged for people loyal to him to be in power. Thus, his hands remained free, and he could shower his fellow citizens with blessings, and therefore maintain his popularity. Surrounded by the halo of the name of the "Father of the Fatherland *", Cosmas became one of the great sovereigns of the Renaissance and was the first in a series of great patrons of the Medici family.
It was he who, having doubled his fortune, directed his efforts to make Florence the most prestigious laboratory of the Renaissance. He called on architects and artists - Brunel-leschi, Michelozzo, Donatello, Philippe Lippi, Benozzo Gozzoli. He surrounded himself with humanist scholars such as Bruni and Marsilio Ficino, whom he put in charge of the Florentine Platonic Academy he had created.
Humanist tyrant
The grandson of Cosmas the Elder, Lorenzo de' Medici, nicknamed the Magnificent, was perhaps the most famous of all the sovereigns of the Renaissance. In 1469, succeeding his father, Pierrot-Gouty, he received the title of “pripare ye11o sralo! - (Prince of the State), which gave some legitimacy to the power of the Medici family over the Signoria, which, however, was not established without some difficulties. The patricians, led by Pazzi, supported by Pope Sixtus IV, plotted against the tyranny of the Medici, which ended in failure, but Lorenzo's brother Giuliano was killed in the cathedral. After his death, the united Naples and Siena took up arms against Lorenzo, the resistance of which would have been hopelessly unequal, had he not miraculously escaped the impending danger thanks to the raid of the Turks, who mixed up all the plans of his enemies. This test only elevated Lorenzo in the eyes of the Florentines, and from that day on he firmly established the power of the Medici.
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Prince of Poets and Artists
Now, following the example of his grandfather, he could devote all his wealth to the promotion of the arts, the patronage of literature and the sciences. Turning Florence into a gigantic art gallery, he, better than anyone else, embodied the ideal of the Renaissance sovereign. An enlightened lover of the arts and a generous humanist, Lorenzo cared more about patronage than about trade and finance, and, embarking on the path of exorbitant spending, he inevitably had to lead the whole family to ruin. But most of all, Lorenzo the Magnificent aspired to political power, and of course, he could not be considered a capitalist. Neglecting financial power and trade, he invested almost all his fortune in lands and estates. Although born to lead a trading empire,
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banker-poet
In addition to being a philanthropist and politician, Lorenzo the Magnificent also composed poetry. His works, distinguished by their purity of style and elegance, were published in 1626 by Grand Duke Leopold!!.
Lorenzo I the Magnificent (1449-1492)
PietroN (1472-1503)
Gioeanni Leo X (1475-1521)
Bankruptcy
Lorenzo's passion for the humanities and literature led to the Company's rapid decline. Branches closed one by one.
1469 - Venetian, 1478 - in London and Bruges, 1494 - Milanese.
Lorenzo nevertheless, in his worldview, belonged to a medieval society that remained strictly hierarchical and retained feudal orders and knightly ideals. Capitalism, whose ingenious predecessors were its ancestors, was only in its infancy. According to Lorenzo Medici, a sovereign dynasty was the natural culmination of the rise to power.
Greatness and decline
Wanting to play princes, the Medici forced Fortune to turn back, and this goddess, who until now smiled at them, began to make faces. In 1494, upon the arrival of Charles VIII, the Florentines rebelled against their rulers and forced Piero, son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, to leave the city, so that the bank located in Florence was immediately beheaded. The financial career of the Medici ended, and from that day on they could no more be considered than with ordinary sovereign persons. The primacy passed to France, to European patrons and Roman pontiffs. Several times the Medici managed to reassert themselves in their city, but they would never again become a monetary dynasty like those that appeared after them only in the 19th century. At the height of their power, they chose the role of sovereigns, whose power was higher or at least equal to the power of money.
The beginning of the Rothschilds.
So Cosimo died in 1464, all this coincided with the decline of Florence: “Under Cosimo II (1609-1621) and his son Ferdinand II (1621-1670), the decline of Florence began. Tuscany has reached almost complete savagery. Ferdinando's son, Cosimo III (1670-1723) could not stop the decline of Florence. His sons had no offspring. With the death of sister CosimoIIIAnna Maria in 1743 The Medici dominion ended.
Any dynasty can end overnight from starvation, but only, for example, not the Rothschilds. Rothschild because Mayer Amschel Bauer is considered the founder of the Rothschild family and financial empire. His father Moses traveled Eastern Europe, simultaneously engaging in activities traditional for European Jews of that time: the jewelry business and usury. Tired of wandering, he decided to settle in the city where his first son would be born.
AT 1743 Mayer Amschel was born in Frankfurt am Main, and Moses Bauer settled in the Frankfurt Jewish ghetto, opening his own counting house. Above his door, the banker placed the family coat of arms - a large red shield "- Red Shield.
Firstly, it is impossible to engage in both usury and the jewelry business as a wanderer-traveler, imagine Sberbank on a pair of horses. Or a jeweler with a single tool - an ax and a sledgehammer behind an irradiation. And how to protect such valuables from robbers? Even the Gokhran on a tank can be lured into a disguised pit like a mammoth. This means that the founder of the Rothschild dynasty, in principle, could not be a vagrant, he lived in Frankfurt for a long time and constantly.
Second, note the bold twice mentioned 1743 year, directly indicating the succession of the Medici and Rothschild bankers, because Cosimo himself was allegedly descended from some "wandering" Bicci. Moreover, Jews are very fond of both numerology and secrets for the uninitiated.
It is clear that this is not enough, but just as the largest gold reserve of the Medici could not just evaporate, so the capital of the Rothschilds that arose out of thin air appeared directly from the sky. You can also remember that the family-owner of a gigantic fortune will always find the means to continue their family as heirs, see, for example, the play "Thunderstorm" by A. Ostrovsky. And then the Medicis, having propagated after one 268 years, suddenly stopped. Whereas the Rothschilds, having bankrupted the same 268 years by 2011 (again numerology), are only getting stronger. Indestructible as the family of the last English kings.
Did you pay attention to the words « Tuscany has reached almost complete savagery? Still not to run wild, the "Greeks" left, all industry and trade collapsed, the people went crazy from adversity, and although the Medici cellars were full of gold, there was no turnover.
Whereas in the north of the transalpine Western Europe came exactly the same scientific, technological and industrial boom as once in the Mediterranean. What would you do in the place of the Medici? - Change your surname and try to infiltrate where paper money turns into pure gold.
Have you ever thought about the completely idiotic and only Swiss phenomenon on Earth? Or does it seem normal to you that the three paramount European powers France, Italy and Germany quite voluntarily, without even once waving a kitchen knife, gave away tidbits of their land together with the population for free in order to form this most independent Switzerland?
Having pumped up the empire of Peter I to failure with foreigners, the Rothschilds cut off Muscovy from civilization completely and forced them to submit to the will of St. Petersburg. Without war. True, at the same time it was necessary to arrange a small leapfrog with Peter's heirs, to destroy those who were objectionable, to select those who were pleasing not in St. Petersburg, but in London. The last link says something about it. How Peter humiliated Sweden and the Baltic states - this goes without saying.
Finally, they picked up Catherine II, though not so much her as the necessary advisers. And it was a new stage, absolutely stunning.
As I have already indicated above, before Catherine II, Russia did not have not only the Middle and Southern Urals, but even its immediate environs, after Catherine the number of provinces tripled, right up to the Pacific Ocean. Without crushing previously existing ones into smaller parts. Phenomenon?
And another phenomenon. The main carrier on the Volga was the Rothschild company. And almost all geological prospecting and mapping of Siberian Russia and the Southern Urals were carried out by 80 percent by foreigners, and they were mainly looking for gold and silver, not without reason that all the Lena mines until 1917 were mainly owned by British companies.
With the organization of Russia, not only did the affairs of the eastern Hansa end, she began, on a command from London, to balance France, Germany and Austria, who were burrowing into the wrong steppe, and Russia itself was not allowed to step over the line, for example, with the Bosphorus. Once even a little Peter was not occupied, when Nicholas I made a lot of noise. And in general, as soon as the wrong tsar appeared (Peter III, Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I), he was immediately removed, and in the same way.
You can expand on the conspiracy theory in more detail:
David Rockefeller. Photo: Getty Images/Fotobank.ru
"Give me the right to issue and control the country's money, and I won't care who makes the laws!" - this phrase was uttered at the beginning of the 19th century by Mayer Amschel Rothschild. His descendants conscientiously fulfilled the wish of their great-grandfather.
The version that a group of families headed by the Rothschild clan has a direct influence on world markets has been called "conspiracy theories." According to George Antin, author of Conspiracy Theory and the Conspiratorial Mentality, a conspiracy theory is “an attempt to explain an event or series of events as the result of a conspiracy, that is, the actions of a small group of people working in secret, aimed at the conscious control or turn in the development of certain or other historical events. It turns out that this theory involves some kind of mystery and conspiracy. However, without any mystery, it is clear that the richest people on the planet have more opportunities than anyone else. “Conspiracy theory has nothing to do with it. To explain everything with conspiracies is a persecution mania, this is an extreme humiliation of the people. At the same time, this does not mean that financial circles do not have any influence on events on a global scale,” said the co-chairman of the Council for national strategy Joseph Diskin.
Family bonds
Rockefellers, Morgans, Rothschilds, Coons, Loebs, Goldmans, Mellons, Saxons, Du Ponts, Lehmans... These are the names of those bankers and businessmen who laid the foundation for family capital back in the 17th-18th centuries. The most important thing for them then was the psychology of the clan: family business, dynastic marriages. As an example, the history of the development of the largest US bank in the 19th century, Kuhn, Loeb & Co., is suitable. It was founded in 1867 by Abraham Kuhn and Solomon Loeb. Under the leadership of Jacob Schiff, the bank successfully invested in more than promising American companies, including Western Union and Westinghouse. From 1907 to 1912 Kuhn, Loeb & Co. was a subscriber of shares (had some kind of options) for a total of $ 530 million.
In the 1920s, the bank was managed by other famous personalities - Otto Kahn, Felix Warburg, and Benjamin Buttenweiser. (By the way, there is evidence that it was they who financed the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Corresponding British intelligence reports are given in Henry Wickham Steed's book "After 30 years, 1892-1922.") In 1977, Kuhn, Loeb & Co. merged with Lehman Brothers to form Lehman Brothers, Inc. And seven years later, a merger with American Express followed, which was founded by the Fargo and Butterfield families.
In turn, a cursory glance at the genealogical intricacies of these families refutes even a hint of their rivalry with each other. So, Solomon Loeb's daughter married Jacob Schiff, and Felix Warburg married Solomon Loeb's granddaughter Nina. Benjamin Buttenweiser was married to the granddaughter of Lehman Brothers founder Abraham Lehman.
Outside this family were the Rockefellers and Morgans. Unlike Kuhn, Loeb and others who came to the US from Europe, the Rockefellers and Morgans are Native Americans. John David Rockefeller was born in Richford, John Pierpont Morgan - in Boston. At one time there were rumors that the Rothschilds allegedly competed with the Rockefellers. However, talk fell silent after JPMorgan, controlled by N. M. Rothschild & Sons, took over David Rockefeller's Chase Manhattan in 2000, resulting in a hybrid JPMorgan Chase. As a result, the interests of the two sides successfully united.
Rothschilds in the fog
One can only guess about the contents of the pocket of David Rockefeller, whose ancestor became the first dollar billionaire a hundred years ago. In 1913, the personal fortune of that very ancestor, John Rockefeller, was estimated at least $ 1 billion (according to other sources, $ 6 billion). Given the inflation of the US currency and interest rates, a fortune of $1 billion a hundred years ago is equivalent to the current $60 billion.
As for the financier Nathaniel Rothschild, it is simply indecent to speak out loud about the real size of his fortune. Suffice it to say that his family is successfully engaged in banking about 200 years old. Over the centuries, their ancestors raised capital, weaved intrigues, developed connections, married children. And all this so that the descendants - the same David or Nathan - preserve and increase the family wealth. No one undertakes to name exact figures, but it is very likely that the total fortune of the Rothschilds today is measured in trillions of dollars.
To date, identifying the true owners of a large company or bank is like finding a viper's footprint on a stone. “Most people don't believe they own assets unless they have title deeds. The Rockefellers know this is a big mistake. It is much more convenient to have assets owned by a trust or foundation that you control ... The result is that the public does not have the slightest opportunity to assess the state of the Rockefellers, not to mention the influence and power of this family, ”writes Gary Allen in The Rockefeller File . Nevertheless, some assumptions can be made from facts and documented history. For example, the Rockefellers, Morgans, Kuhns and Loebs control the financial conglomerate Citigroup, as well as JPMorgan Chase and ExxonMobil Corporation.
As for the Rothschilds, they occupy a special position: they have a share in the assets of all families and solely own the largest banks, public funds, investment companies, vineyards, lands, mines. If the mystery enveloping the Rockefeller family is like a gray haze, then the informationally impenetrable halo around the Rothschilds is like a dull fog. “I categorically and most resolutely forbid the conduct of a judicial or public inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and any disclosure of the size of my fortune” - such an item was contained in the will of the French millionaire Anselm de Rothschild, who died at the end of the 19th century. Among the Rothschilds there are not only bankers, but also famous scientists, opera singers, gardeners, art critics.
Who does the Fed pay?
However, the wealth of wealthy clans in America and Europe is not limited to high-yield assets around the world. There is something more fundamental, namely the US Federal Reserve. As the legend says, the organization was conceived at the beginning of the last century by a group of those same bankers - the Morgans, Rockefellers, Kuns, Loebs, Goldmans, Mellons, Saxons, Du Ponts and others. Jekyll Island off the east coast of the United States.
The Republican Senator Nelson Aldrich, John D. Rockefeller's father-in-law, was lobbying for the Federal Reserve Act in Parliament. Unfortunately, the first time in 1912, he failed to push through the coveted document called the Aldrich Plan. Subsequently, the reformers removed the name of the Republican Aldrich, which irritated the Democrats, made a number of minor changes to the document and re-launched it as an initiative of the Democrats. Thus, after sophisticated banking manipulations in 1913, the Federal Reserve Act was successfully ratified. Interestingly, the vote in the upper house of Congress took place on December 23, and on the eve of Christmas there were very few senators in the meeting room.
This is how the "Fed Hydra" was born, which performs the functions of the Central Bank with a small caveat. The Fed's form of capital is private - joint stock. The structure of this corporation consists of 12 federal reserve banks and numerous private banks. The latter are shareholders of the Fed and receive a fixed 6% annual dividend on their membership dues, regardless of the income of the Federal Reserve. Currently, this structure involves about 38% of all banks and credit unions in the United States (approximately 5.6 thousand units). legal entities). Fed shares do not give control rights, they cannot be sold or pledged. Moreover, their acquisition is the official obligation of each member bank to invest in them an amount equal to 3% of their capital. The main benefit of being a member bank is borrowing from the Fed's reserve banks.
No one knows what structures the US Federal Reserve actually owns. Only the close friendships and family ties of all the heads of the Fed with the Rothschilds and Rockefellers, as well as the history of the creation of the Fed, point to them as the true owners. However, in the 70s of the last century, some information leaked to the press through investigative journalist Rob Kerby, who published a list of organizations that own the Fed. However, all these banks have long disappeared through mergers or acquisitions with others. All but one - Bank of England (Bank of London).
Chip all earthlings
So, on the one hand, the rich families of America have existed and flourished for centuries, on the other hand, through the Fed, they influence both the United States itself and other countries, because the dollar is still the main reserve currency.
In addition, if necessary, the US government can always borrow from the Fed, for example, $ 5 trillion for a small victorious war in the Middle East, if the interests of the parties coincide. Since Bush came to power, this measure has been used so frequently that today the national debt stands at a record $1.5 trillion. At the same time, it should be said that the debts of individuals and corporations in the United States amount to more than $ 10 trillion and total amount debt is approaching the volume of US GDP of $13 trillion.
On the eve of the 1998 default, Russia was in milder conditions. Therefore, one of the most big problems The current crisis is considered to be the threat of a US default or dollar hyperinflation if the Fed starts printing paper with portraits of presidents at an accelerated pace.
“…Everyone, in general, understands that the reasons that led to the crisis in the autumn of 2008 have not gone away and that the second blow of the financial and economic elements is inevitable. At the same time, the state and corporations have noticeably exhausted their free funds ... There is only one scenario left - a state default. A projected and controlled collapse of the dollar, ”writes Sergey Pereslegin, head of the Designing the Future analytical group, in one of his publications.
How the discharge will occur, one can only guess. The world has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Back in the mid-1980s, the Americans managed to force Japan to strengthen the yen against the dollar, which was beneficial for the United States, but led to a depression in the Land of the Rising Sun. Today, there is China growing by leaps and bounds with its own ideas of good and evil, and if you look more broadly - the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) - an invention of the Goldman and Saxons family.
Some of the plans of the world's most powerful people have become known with the help of journalist and filmmaker Aaron Russo, who is known for revealing stories and films about the Fed. One of his most scandalous films is America - From Freedom to Fascism. In 2007, in an interview with journalist Alex Johnson, he made a number of confessions. Nick Rockefeller, being a friend of the director, tried to "recruit" him. He even invited Rousseau to join the odious elite organization - the Council on international relations however he refused. Rousseau said that he once asked Rockefeller a question: “You have all the money in the world that you need. You have all the power in the world that you need. What is the meaning of all this, what is the ultimate goal? To this, Rockefeller replied: “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone is “chipped”. To control the whole society, so that the bankers and the elite control the world.” Rockefeller even promised that if Russo joined them, his chip would have a special mark that would allow him to avoid too intrusive surveillance. In conclusion, it remains to add the following: the interview took place at the end of January 2007, and in the summer of that year, Aaron Russo died of cancer.
Rockefellers: flour and pork
John David Rockefeller was born in 1839 in New York State. His father Bill was a drunkard and a charlatan. John did not follow in the footsteps of his parent, and at the age of 16 after three months accounting courses left for Cleveland. There he looked for a job for six months until he got a job as an assistant accountant in a small company Hewitt & Tuttle. At 18, John co-founded the brokerage firm Clark & Rockefeller and made good money in the American Civil War of 1861-1865. Maurice Clark and John Rockefeller supplied the armies with flour, pork and salt. After the war, Rockefeller found a gold mine - a fuel that was vital in the face of rapid industrialization. In 1865, he sold his share in Clark & Rockefeller for $72,500 and became exclusively involved in investing in oil. As a result, in 1870, the “grandmother” of ExxonMobil, Standard Oil, was born.
Rothschilds: Antiques
The founder of the Rothschild clan, Amschel Moses Bauer, a native of the city of Frankfurt, acquired initial capital literally in the garbage heap back in the middle of the 18th century. According to legend, after the death of his father, a small merchant, Amschel began to search for antiques in landfills. Then the future financier gave them a marketable appearance and sold them to aristocratic collectors. In 1773, he founded an antique shop and changed his surname Bauer (translated into Russian - "peasant") to Rothschild (that was the name of his father's shop). The ingenious Amschel presented his entire collection of antiques to Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Hesse-Genau, asking in return for only the status of an official supplier of the royal court. Amschel then went into banking, helping the prince to make speculative transactions.
The name of Rothschild's son Nathan is associated with the most famous example of insider trading. In 1818, the enterprising son of Amschel sent his agent to the site of the Battle of Waterloo and was the first to learn of Wellington's victory and Napoleon's defeat. On the London Stock Exchange, he played a whole spectacle, pretending that he began to sell. Everyone in a panic followed his example, at this time Nathan's agents were buying up depreciated shares of the British Treasury.
If you "dig" deeply, then you need a detailed analysis with a historical background - otherwise it will be almost impossible to understand something in this scenario.
To be continued...
If you are somehow interested in this topic, then
10 secrets from the life of the richest dynasty.
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Odnoklassniki
There is a lot of gossip and legend about millionaires - people want to know how they managed to hold on to their vast empire, while other companies arose, went bankrupt or merged with others.
Among the famous families, the Rockefellers occupy a special place, the surname has become associated with wealth. However, few people know what was at the heart of the financial empire. Secrets of one of the richest dynasties in the world that you did not know.
horse thief
The father of the first billionaire in history, William Rockefeller (then his last name sounded like "Rockenfeller", was born in 1810. Officially, he was engaged in the sale of medicines. However, he was not an ordinary pharmacist, did not have a special education and sold drugs, collaborating with all sorts of healers.
William traveled the northeastern United States selling suspicious medicinal potions. In 1849, when John Rockefeller, William's son, was 10 years old, the family urgently had to change their place of residence, and the move was like an escape. The reason for it, as evidenced by the documents, was very weighty - William Rockefeller was accused of horse stealing.
Marry a swindler
mother richest man in the world was Eliza Davison. When she first saw William, who, participating in another fraud, posed as a deaf-mute, she exclaimed: “I would marry this man if he were not deaf-mute!”
William quickly realized that this was a profitable party - his father gave Eliza $ 500 dowry. Soon they got married, and two years later John was born.
Rockefeller Sr.
Eliza did not part with her husband, finding out that he not only hears everything perfectly, but, on occasion, swears no worse than a drunken lumberjack. She did not leave her husband even when he brought his mistress Nancy Brown into the house, and she - in turn with Eliza - began to give birth to William's children.
My husband went to work at night. He disappeared into the darkness, without explaining where and why he was going, and returned a few months later at dawn - Eliza woke up from the sound of a pebble hitting the window pane. She ran out of the house, threw back the bolt, opened the gate, and her husband drove into the yard - on a new horse, in a new suit, and sometimes with diamonds on his fingers.
A handsome man made good money: he took prizes at shooting competitions, he briskly traded glass under the sign "The best emeralds from Golconda in the world!" He also successfully posed as a well-known herbal doctor, selling various supplements, which today are called dietary supplements.
He went door to door in different parts of America and sold "miracle" remedies to housewives. Neighbors called him Bill the Devil: some considered William a professional player, others considered him a bandit.
After several years of wandering life, the Rockefeller family finally settled in Cleveland, but not because Big Bill - that's what William Rockefeller was called among horse dealers - settled down.
Just one fine day in 1855, he left for an unknown destination, marrying a certain Margaret, a 25-year-old girl who knew him as Dr. William Livingston. Moreover, he never divorced Eliza, which means, in fact, he was a bigamist.
Little businessman
“From a young age, my mother and priest inspired me to work and save,” recalled John Rockefeller. Doing business was part of the family upbringing. Even in early childhood, John bought a pound of sweets, divided it into small piles and sold it at a premium to his own sisters.
At the age of seven, he sold the turkeys he had grown to his neighbors, and he lent the $50 he earned from this to a neighbor at 7% per annum. Subsequently, John highly appreciated these lessons. And from communication with his father, he made a firm conviction that alcohol and tobacco are a vice, and this is very bad. And looking at how his mother suffers from the frequent betrayals of her husband, he decided as a child that he would never do this.
“He was a very quiet boy,” one of the townspeople recalled many years later, “he was always thinking.” From the side, John looked distracted: it seemed that the child was constantly struggling with some kind of insoluble problem.
The impression was deceptive - the boy was distinguished by a tenacious memory, grip and unshakable calmness: playing checkers, he harassed his partners, thinking for half an hour over each move.
At the same time, he was a sensitive boy: when his sister died, John ran into the backyard, threw himself on the ground, and lay there all day. Yes, and having matured, Rockefeller did not become such a monster as he was sometimes portrayed: once he asked about a classmate whom he once liked and, having learned that she was widowed and in poverty, the owner of Standard Oil immediately assigned her a pension.
Work for Uncle
John Rockefeller never graduated from high school. At 16, with a three-month accounting course under his belt, he began looking for work in Cleveland, where his family then lived. Six weeks later, he took a job as an assistant accountant at Hewitt & Tuttle, a trading company.
First he was paid $17 a month, and then $25. When receiving them, John felt guilty, finding the reward excessively high. In order not to waste a single cent, the thrifty Rockefeller bought a small ledger from his first salary, where he wrote down all his expenses, and carefully kept it all his life.
As for work, it was his only job for hire. At the age of 18, John Rockefeller became the junior partner of the businessman Maurice Clark. The Civil War of 1861-1865 helped the new company to get on its feet. The warring armies paid generously for provisions, and partners supplied them with flour, pork and salt.
By the end of the war in Pennsylvania, near Cleveland, oil was discovered, and the city was at the center of an oil rush. By 1864, Clark and Rockefeller were already in the Pennsylvania oil business.
A year later, Rockefeller decided to focus only on oil, but Clark was against it. Then, for $ 72,500, John bought out his share from a partner and plunged headlong into the oil business.
Oil at any cost
In 1870, Rockefeller created his famous "Standard Oil". Together with his friend and business partner Henry Flagler, he began to gather disparate oil producing and oil refining enterprises into a single powerful trust. Competitors could not resist him,
Rockefeller put them before a choice: unification or ruin. If beliefs did not work, the most severe methods were used. For example, "Standard Oil" reduced prices in the local market of a competitor, forcing him to work at a loss. Or Rockefeller sought to stop the supply of oil to recalcitrant refiners.
By 1879 the war was effectively over. The Rockefeller Company controlled 90% of the oil refining capacity in the United States. But in 1890, the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed, aimed at combating monopolies.
Until 1911, Rockefeller and his partner managed to circumvent this law, but then Standard Oil was divided into thirty-four companies (virtually all of today's major American oil companies trace their history back to Standard Oil).
home economics
Rockefeller was married to Laura Celestina Spelman. He once remarked: "Without her advice, I would have remained a poor man." Biographers write that Rockefeller did his best to teach children to work, modesty and unpretentiousness. John created a kind of layout at home market economy: He appointed daughter Laura as "director" and told the children to keep detailed ledgers.
Each child received a few cents for killing a fly, for sharpening a pencil, for an hour of music lessons, for a day of abstaining from sweets. Each of the children had his own garden bed, where the labor of cleaning the weeds also had its price. Little Rockefellers were fined for being late for breakfast.
Owner of 2.5% of US GDP
In 1917, the personal fortune of John Rockefeller was estimated at $ 900-1200 million, which was 2.5% of the then GDP of the United States. In the modern equivalent, Rockefeller owned approximately $150 billion - he is still the richest of people.
By the end of his life, Rockefeller, in addition to shares in each of the 34 Standard Oil subsidiaries, owned 16 railroad and six steel companies, nine banks, six shipping companies, nine real estate firms, and three orange groves.
Rockefeller's donations to charity during his life exceeded $500 million. Of these, about $80 million was received by the University of Chicago, at least $100 million - by the Baptist church, of which he and his wife were parishioners.
John Rockefeller also created and funded the New York Institute for Medical Research, the Council for General Education and the Rockefeller Foundation.
military dynasty
The new head of the dynasty - John D. Rockefeller II (junior) turned out to be a worthy son of his father. First World War brought the Rockefeller family 500 million dollars net profit.
The Second World War turned out to be an even more profitable enterprise - tank and aircraft engines required gasoline, and it was produced at the Rockefeller factories around the clock.
The result was 2 billion dollars of net profit received during the war years. Rockefeller Jr. married the daughter of one of America's most influential political figures of the early twentieth century, Senator Nelson Aldrich, who for a long time enjoyed almost the same influence in Washington as the country's presidents.
Strange Collection
John Rockefeller Jr. left luxurious palaces and villas to his five sons and daughter. In winter, the young Rockefellers lived in New York in a nine-story family mansion.
They had their own clinic, special colleges, swimming pools, tennis courts, concert and exhibition halls. The 3,000-acre Rockefeller estate has riding arenas, a velodrome, a half-million-dollar home theater, yachting ponds, and more.
The equipment of one game room alone cost the child-loving oil king $520,000. When the youngest of the brothers (David) grew up, each received at his disposal city mansions, summer villas and other real estate necessary for social life.
As for David, who heads the family's financial business today, according to the American press, his only hobby is collecting beetles. There are 40 thousand of them in the collection, David Rockefeller, according to newspapers, always carries with him a bottle for caught insects.
No longer the richest
Rockefeller Financial Services now manages $34 billion in assets. Among them are the Vallares oil and gas group, a stake in Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Procter & Gamble and Oracle. The majority of the company's shares are owned by the Rockefeller family.
But the personal fortune of David Rockefeller is estimated (according to Forbes) at only $2.5 billion. At the same time, the personal fortune of Russian businessman Roman Abramovich is estimated by Forbs at $10.2 billion.
The Russian is now actively investing in foreign companies. One of the latest major purchases was a 23.3% stake in the British telecommunications group Truphone, which cost £75 million.
Experts estimate that Abramovich's art collection is worth at least a billion dollars. In January 2013, he bought a collection of 40 works by Ilya Kabakov, the approximate cost of which is $60 million.
A few years ago, Abramovich became the buyer of a 70-acre estate on the island of St. Barth in the Caribbean. The land on which the estate is located once belonged to David Rockefeller.
Abramovich's new acquisition is valued at $89 million. The estate includes several ocean-view bungalows, tennis courts, swimming pools and dance pavilions.
