John Davison Rockefeller was an American business magnate and philanthropist who lived from 1839 to 1937. He was the co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, which became the largest oil refining company in the world. Rockefeller is widely regarded as one of the wealthiest individuals in modern history, and his business practices and wealth accumulation have been the subject of much scrutiny and debate. In his later years, he became known for his philanthropy, donating large sums of money to various causes and establishing the Rockefeller Foundation to promote the well-being of humanity.