On January 5, 1839, John D. Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York. He would go on to found Standard Oil, the company that defined how the modern petroleum industry operates — from large-scale refining to nationwide distribution and pricing control. By the 1880s, Rockefeller's Standard Oil controlled about 90% of U.S. oil refining capacity, an unprecedented level of market dominance for any American industry at the time. The company also owned thousands of miles of pipelines, rail tank cars, storage depots, and export terminals, allowing it to lower costs and outcompete rivals through efficiency rather than production alone. Rockefeller's business strategies — including vertical integration, economies of scale, and long-term supply contracts — became the template for modern energy companies worldwide. At his peak, his personal fortune is estimated to have equaled roughly 1.5–2% of total U.S. GDP, making him widely regarded as the wealthiest individual in modern history. His empire ultimately shaped U.S. antitrust law and the structure of today's global oil majors.