Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

The story of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. does not begin in the boardrooms of New York, but in the wild, uncertain landscapes of upstate New York, where rocky soil and family secrets shaped a boy’s destiny. Imagine a child, ledger in hand, recording every penny earned from selling turkeys or doing chores, his eyes already focused on the future. In this household, discipline was not just a virtue—it was a survival skill. His mother, Eliza, was the anchor: stern, religious, and endlessly practical. She taught her children that waste was a sin and thrift a blessing, weaving these lessons into the fabric of daily life. The contrast with his father could not have been sharper. William Avery Rockefeller, known as Devil Bill, was a charismatic trickster, a peddler of dubious medicines, and a man who vanished for months at a time. His shadowy double life—complete with a secret second family—left young John wary, secretive, and determined to forge his own path.

Yet, out of these hardships, a remarkable resilience grew. The family’s frequent moves, from Richford to Moravia to Owego and finally to Ohio, were not just changes of address but lessons in adaptation. Each new town brought fresh challenges and opportunities to learn. Rockefeller’s mother, ever resourceful, found ways to stretch every dollar, and John absorbed her lessons like a sponge. He learned that order, diligence, and self-control could make even the most uncertain circumstances manageable. These early years were not easy, but they were formative.

Through stories of lost crops, harsh winters, and the ever-present specter of debt, we see a boy who learned to turn adversity into opportunity. When his father disappeared, he stepped up; when money was tight, he found ways to earn. These habits, so deeply ingrained, would one day become the pillars of an empire.

As we move from the humble farm to the bustling towns, we begin to see the outlines of the man Rockefeller would become—a man who could balance risk and caution, ambition and restraint. The roots of greatness often lie in the soil of struggle. Let’s follow those roots into the next chapter, where the fires of revival and ambition begin to burn brighter.