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

by Ron Chernow

One of Rockefeller’s strengths in bargaining situations was that he figured out what he wanted and what the other party wanted and then crafted mutually advantageous terms. Instead of ruining the railroads, Rockefeller tried to help them prosper, albeit in a way that fortified his own position.

“to learn how to give without weakening the moral backbone of the beneficiary.”

In discussing Napoleon, Rockefeller said, “He was a human being and virile because he came direct from the ranks of the people. There was none of the stagnant blood of nobility or royalty in his veins.”

Rockefeller reiterated his faith that cooperation, not competition, advanced the general welfare.