John D. Rockefeller was born on a farm in New York in 1839 and grew up in a religious environment where he learned the values of hard work and charity. He attended business college and gained bookkeeping experience before founding his own business with a partner. In 1870, Rockefeller organized the Standard Oil Company, which produced paint and glue. As the owner of Standard Oil, he helped build it into a successful company through his business skills before retiring to focus on philanthropy. Even after his death in 1937, the businesses he created continued to thrive.