25 Inspirational John D. Rockefeller Quotes on Wealth and Education

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Born John Davison Rockefeller on July 8, 1839, in Richford, New York, John. D. Rockefeller was an American industrialist, entrepreneur, and CEO.

When he was 14, his family moved from New York to Cleveland, Ohio, and as a teenager, he began several small-business ventures.

He landed his first real job at 16, where he was an assistant bookkeeper at Hewitt & Tuttle.

By the time he was 20, he left the job to venture out on his own with a business partner.

He worked as a commission merchant in hay, grains, meat, and other goods.

By the end of his first year in business, Rockefeller’s company had grossed $450,000.

By the 1860s, the careful Rockefeller sensed opportunity in the oil business and decided to establish an oil refinery near Cleveland, which opened in 1863.

Two years later, his Cleveland refinery was the largest in the area, and it was then he chose to turn his full attention to the oil business.

Standard Oil was extremely successful – so much so that it controlled the majority of Cleveland area refineries.

Rockefeller used the size of the refinery to make favorable deals to gain control over almost every aspect of the business.

In just over a decade since Standard Oil was incorporated, it had a near-total oil business monopoly, with Rockefeller being the overseer of everything.

However, antitrust issues came along and in 1911 Standard Oil was forced to completely dissolve.

Rockefeller retired at age 56 and spent his time with charitable endeavors before his death on May 23, 1937.

His son, John Jr., would continue his philanthropy.

John D. Rockefeller is inspirational because he never stopped working hard for what he wanted, but he also used the wealth he accrued to help others who needed it more than he did.

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

John D. Rockefeller Quotes on Wealth and Education

1. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller

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2. “It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy.” – John D. Rockefeller

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3. “I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living.” – John D. Rockefeller

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4. “I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.” – John D. Rockefeller

5. “I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.” – John D. Rockefeller

John D Rockefeller Quotes on Wealth

6. “I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” – John D. Rockefeller

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7. “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” – John D. Rockefeller

8. “I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money’s sake.” – John D. Rockefeller

9. “I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” – John D. Rockefeller

10. “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.” – John D. Rockefeller

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11. “Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one’s aim.” – John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller quotes on education and success

12. “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.” – John D. Rockefeller

13. “Don’t blame the marketing department. The buck stops with the chief executive.” – John D. Rockefeller

14. “I had no ambition to make a fortune. Mere money-making has never been my goal, I had the ambition to build.” – John D. Rockefeller

15. “The common denominator for success is work.” – John D. Rockefeller

16. “Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty.” – John D. Rockefeller

17. “The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let the money be my slave and not make myself a slave to money.” – John D. Rockefeller

18. “If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.” – John D. Rockefeller

19. “A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.” – John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller Quotes on Money

20. “Do you know what would hurt grandfather a great deal? To know that any of you boys should become wasteful, extravagant, careless with his money.” – John D. Rockefeller

21. “God gave me my money.” – John D. Rockefeller

22. “I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure.” – John D. Rockefeller

23. “Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.” – John D. Rockefeller

24. “A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.” – John D. Rockefeller

25. “The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets.” – John D. Rockefeller

What is your favorite John D. Rockefeller Quote?

Though John D. Rockefeller died in 1937, his legacy still lives.

He will always be remembered not only for his business acumen but also as a philanthropist and an educator.

Hopefully, these John D. Rockefeller quotes have inspired you to never stop working hard for what you want.

If you have any other quotes from John D. Rockefeller to share with us, please don’t hesitate to mention them in the comments section below.

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