Evolution of Wealth: From Rockefeller to Musk

The article traces the history of the world's richest individuals from 1900 to 2026, beginning with John D. Rockefeller, who built his fortune through the Standard Oil Company, controlling approximately 90% of oil production in the United States.

Despite the U.S. government's antitrust actions in 1911 that split Standard Oil, Rockefeller's wealth increased, peaking at over $400 billion in today's value. Following World War II, Mir Osman Ali Khan emerged as the wealthiest man in 1947, with an estimated fortune of $2 billion at the time, equivalent to ten billion today, and a treasury that included hundreds of millions in gold and silver bullion.

The article also mentions J. Paul Getty, who became a prominent oil tycoon in the late 1940s and 1950s, capitalizing on the global energy demand.