John D. Rockefeller: The Ruthless Logic of Absolute Monopoly

Описание: This video examines the business strategy behind the Standard Oil monopoly and John D. Rockefeller's implementation of vertical integration during the Gilded Age. We analyze how a single corporation gained control over 90% of America's oil refining capacity and the subsequent antitrust response that followed.

At the turn of the 20th century, Standard Oil emerged as the most powerful corporation in American history. Through rigorous cost control, vertical integration, and strategic consolidation, John D. Rockefeller transformed oil refining into a centralized system that reshaped the nature of capitalism itself.

This documentary explores how Standard Oil achieved market dominance, the economic logic underpinning monopoly power, and the reasons Rockefeller's methods compelled the U.S. government to redefine the limits of corporate control. From pricing strategies and infrastructure ownership to legal pressures and public backlash, we examine the mechanics of industrial power at scale.

Beyond biography, this is a case study in how capital concentrates, how systems optimize toward dominance, and how unchecked efficiency can destabilize markets and institutions. The breakup of Standard Oil under antitrust law remains a defining moment in American economic history.

Capital & Collapse is a documentary series exploring the forces that build financial empires—and the pressures that ultimately bring them down. Each episode examines power, capital, and the unintended consequences of economic systems operating at their limits.

Topics covered in this video:

Standard Oil monopoly and market control

John D. Rockefeller's business strategy

Vertical integration as a competitive strategy

The Sherman Antitrust Act and its enforcement

Gilded Age industrial capitalism

The foundations of modern corporate power

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