29/05/2025
John D. Rockefeller was once the richest person in the world and the first-ever billionaire. By the age of 25, he already ran one of the biggest oil refineries in the U.S., and by 31, it was the largest in the world. By 38, his company controlled 90% of all oil refining in the country. At 50, he was the wealthiest man in America, having spent his whole life chasing success, power, and money.
But at 53, things took a sharp turn. Rockefeller’s health suddenly declined. He lost all his hair, could barely eat, and was in constant pain. Despite his fortune, he was deeply unhappy, and doctors warned he might not live much longer.
This wake-up call changed him. He realized that his money meant nothing if he couldn’t enjoy life or take it with him when he died. So, he made a life-changing decision: to start giving his wealth away to help others.
He gathered his team and set up the Rockefeller Foundation, which went on to fund major breakthroughs in medicine — like the development of penicillin and treatments for malaria, tuberculosis, and diphtheria.
Surprisingly, once he began giving, his health improved. He lived not just another year, but until the age of 98.
In the end, Rockefeller found joy not in building wealth, but in using it to make the world better. In his diary, he wrote that everything belongs to God, and he saw himself as a channel for doing good. He found peace, purpose, and happiness in giving — and that changed everything.
