John D. Rockefeller was once the richest man in the world, the world’s first billionaire. At age 25, he controlled one of America’s largest oil refineries. By the age of 31, he had become the world’s largest oil refiner.
By the age of 38, he had refined 90 percent of the oil in the United States. For 50 years, he was the richest man in the country. As a young man, every decision, attitude, and relationship was designed to build his power and wealth. But at the age of 53, he fell ill. A colleague wrote
Doctors predicted that he would die within a year. That year passed slowly in agony. As he approaches death, he wakes up one morning with the vague realization that he is unable to take any of his wealth with him to the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized that he was not in control of his life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorney, accountant, and managers and announced that he wanted to transfer his assets to hospitals, research, and charity.
John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, a treatment for malaria, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. The most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he started giving back a portion of everything he earned, his body chemistry changed so dramatically that he got better and better.
There was a time when it seemed that he would die at the age of 53. But he lived to the age of 98. By giving wealth to charity, he became healthy, as if this thing called charity is also a method of treatment. Before his death, he wrote in his diary.
