JD Rockefeller and Ted Turner Essay

Due to the harsh reality uncovered in this chapter, society is able to see how hard it is to become successful, whether it is as a franchisee or starting a company on your own. At a success seminar Dave Feamster took his employees to, a paralyzed but still upbeat and motivational Christopher Reeve’s said, “Since my accident, I’ve been realizing … that success means something quite different” (Schlosser 107). Reeve’s is referencing the millions he made in his 20’s and that there may be more to success than that. “’I see people who achieve these conventional goals, he says … ‘None of it matters” (Schlosser 107). This is such a powerful moment in the chapter, Schlosser is supposed to be attending a motivational seminar and yet readers walk away from it wondering, at what point success worth it is. If this man who was famous and beloved by America says he thinks he is irrelevant, what about us? In this chapter readers see that big companies measure their success in money and profits, but how should society measure it’s? The public education system might measure success in graduates or students that go on to college. But the great thing about this chapter is Christopher Reeve’s challenges the way you measure your success and leaves that up to the audience’s interpretation.

John D. Rockefeller and Commodore Vanderbilt were both powerful businessmen of their time. They both dominated the markets that they were in, and they brought innovation and efficiency to their trades. Both entrepreneurs used hard work to break into their markets and become some of the most successful businessmen of history. These men both made such a large impact on their industries, without their contribution those industries would not be what they are today.

Too often, society measures success by wealth, power, and status. In American society, those favored by pop culture like the Kardashians tend to wield more influence than rocket scientists or brain surgeons. Acting as a major determining factor of how success is perceived, power often trumps attributes such as intelligence and determination. However, Booker T. Washington firmly disagreed. He posited that how far a person advances and how many obstacles he overcomes should determine success. While Washington’s reasoning is valid in theory, the position one has achieved remains ultimately more significant in certain facets of life.

When the names Carnagie, Rockefeller, and Pullman come to mind, most of us automatically think of what we saw or read in our history books: "These men were kind and generous and through hard work and perseverance, any one of you could become a success story like them," right? Wrong. I am sick of these people being remembered for the two or three "good deeds" they have done. Publicity and media have exaggerated the generosity of these men, the government has spoiled these names with false lies, and people have been blind to see that these men were ruthless, sly businessmen who were motivated by your money and their struggle for power.

In the industrial age, there were these people called the "titans." John D. Rockefeller was considered one of the "titans." Rockefeller wanted to be the richest man in America, however, he was the first billionaire in America (Independence Hall Association, 2015). He was born in Richford, New York in 1839. Rockefeller was the second child and he had five other siblings which were William Rockefeller, Frank Rockefeller, Lucy Rockefeller Briggs, Francis Rockefeller, and Mary Ann Rockefeller (Famous people,2015). He married Laura Celestia Spelman and they had five children. His father, William Avery Rockefeller, was a doctor that thought he could cure cancers. His mother was Eliza Davidson Rockefeller and she was a very religious woman. She taught John how to save and give to charities. He worked for his neighbors and raised turkeys for his mother. By the time he was twelve years old, he had saved $50 dollars, which back then was a lot. The family moved to Owego, New York in 1851 and in 1852 John attended Owego Academy. He was an average student in all other subjects besides Mental Arithmetic. He could solve these problems in his head when most people couldn 't solve them on paper (WGBH Education Foundation, 2015).

Rockefeller wrote in a news article after a riot at one of his businesses and said “I am sure it is a mistake to assume that the possession of money in great abundance necessarily brings happiness” (Rockefeller 208). He argued that a fulfilled dream was not just of acquiring money, but it's also about happiness and find what makes life special. Then he addressed another accusation of society on the people that were able to become extremely wealthy by pursuing and achieving their goals. Many people believe that the leaders of society were gifted what they had or were the only ones meant to be wealthy and accomplish their dream. However Rockefeller addressed this when he said “If the people can be educated to help themselves, we strike at the root of many evils of the world” (Rockefeller 210). Being able to achieve wealth and prosperity is not just for certain individuals but it is available to all people. Hardwork and dedication is what defines a man and divides wealth in society, and his ability to be able to earn more and more as he continues to progress in society with his

The United States has come to be known as a major world superpower throughout history. One of the main parts of America that has contributed to its renowned strength has been its economy. The United State’s economy has been growing ever since it began. Credit for its strength and progress in development can be attributed to the financial geniuses of their time. John D. Rockefeller became an economical giant during his time when he changed the face of business by developing ground-breaking new strategies to ensure financial success. Rockefeller dramatically changed the business field during The Gilded Age. He did so through the use of his social Darwinistic philosophy of capitalism, inclusion of vertical and horizontal integration,

Rockefeller techniques I found it to be unjustified the way he handles business. Rockefeller in the 1860s and 1870s had a rough competition with producers, refiners, manufactures, brokers, and shippers. It was his need to have power and wealth that led him to take drastic measures to have a prosperous business. Consequently, that meant getting rid of the overwhelming competition in the industry. The destructive strategies he used were unjustified. Some of these methods were illegal and even aggressive. He wanted to acquire monopoly control in the industry which lead to bribing political officials. As well as, hiring spies and with the information that he received he would formulate arsenal of obstruction to eliminate competitors. He was definitely

John Pierpont Morgan was born on April 17 1837. The Morgan family was a rather influential family, J.P’s father was a successful business man and HIS father was a successful Wall Street banker. When john was thirteen his father was invited to be a partner in the London banking business owned by dry goods merchant George Peabody. Than young J.P. was taken out of the Boston’s English high school and was enrolled into a private school in Switzerland where after two years he was transferred to the University of Gottingen in Germany. In 1857 the now twenty year old J.P. was installed by his father into Duncan Sherman and co (Peabody’s American representive). Than from 1860 to 1864 he acted as an agent in New York for his fathers firm renamed J.S. Morgan and company upon Peabody’s retirement in 1864. In 1871 he partnered with the Drexel’s of Philadelphia to form the company of Drexel, Morgan and company. After the death of Mr. Drexel the firm had the original name changed

The whole idea of rags to riches embodied the work ethic of the 1920s and previous decades as the idyllic Golden Age of flappers and mobsters thrived. However, the ideology was flawed in itself that people were striving for money and not happiness. The average American assumed that happiness was money and were therefore obsessed with the culture of the attaining money. While this was also mostly a time of attempted moral reinvigoration in the older generations, baring the Prohibition and all, many would do whatever they could to get what they wanted, which in most cases was money to buy ‘nice’ things. Everyone’s goal was to become extravagantly wealthy or to die trying. The saddest part of it all is many went to the grave unable to fulfill their actually quite impossible dream.

The old saying you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet holds true for the captains of industry or the so-called robber barons. Although the captains of industry drove some people and businesses into the ground; ultimately the captains of industry made the United States and the rest of the world a better place. Granted, many of the captains of industry used questionable business practiced that drove their profits to unprecedented levels. In addition, these captains of industry had many government officials under their thumbs, which only increased their income further. However, these same men founded and donated to colleges and universities, one of these millionaires donated to black colleges, and others created libraries (Zinn 53). In

John D. Rockefeller, Sr. was born July 8, 1839 in Richford, New York. John grew up the second of six children. His mother Eliza Davidson was a devout Baptist and homemaker, while his father William Avery Rockefeller was a lumberman who decided later to become a traveling salesman. His father, though rarely around, had taught his sons a valuable lesson at an early age. "Trade dishes for platters." Through boyhood John grew up raising turkeys, selling candy, and eventually moved on to loaning money to neighbors. After high school John went through a 10 week business course for bookkeeping at Folsom's Commercial College. It was here he learned most of the skills it would require to run the nation's largest monopoly.

How did Ted Turner turn a small advertising company into a multi-billion dollar company? Ted Turner is an outstanding philanthropist and an amazing person. He has many accomplishments in his life and is a great entrepreneur and he has amazing business skills. He owns many things from millions of acres of land in many states and South America to some of the best and most popular television shows. Ted Turner makes an astronomical amount of money and is also worth a lot.

Well known for luxury and excellence, Ted Turner is proud to boast his famed Ted Turner Expeditions, an ecologically themed holiday experience befitting its moniker. Through the many proffered elegant accommodations and exciting expeditions, guests are treated to a side of New Mexico that is rarely witnessed.

In the late 1970’s Tuner had another idea in mind, and that idea was an all-news network. He made this idea become reality and named it CNN. CNN first aired in 1980 and was a huge success. In 1985, Ted saved money and later bought the company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGN. Later on in the