These contemporaries include his former competitors, many of whom were driven to ruin, but many others of whom sold out at a profit (or a profitable stake in Standard Oil, as Rockefeller often offered his shares as payment for a business), and quite a few of whom became very wealthy as managers as well as owners in Standard Oil.
Ti suvremenici su bili njegovi bivši suparnici, od kojih su mnogi bili otjerani u propast, ali i mnogi drugi koji su prodali svoje posjede za velik novac (ili udio u Standard Oilu, budući da je Rockefeller često nudio svoje dionice umjesto gotovine), a i neki koji su postali vrlo bogati kao menadžeri i suvlasnici u Standard Oilu.