In the final episode of our Standard Oil series, the empire reaches its peak—and faces the consequences. As Rockefeller tightens control, resistance grows. Journalists, politicians, and the public turn against the monopoly, and Standard Oil becomes a target of the U.S. government’s most aggressive antitrust case to date.

What follows is not just a legal defeat, but a strategic turning point. We explore how the dissolution of Standard Oil in 1911 gave rise to a constellation of powerful successor companies—and how Rockefeller’s influence lived on long after the trust was broken. This is the story of transformation through collapse, and how strategy adapts in the face of pressure.

Episode Chapters

(02:45) Part 6 - The Inferior Power

(32:03) Part 7 - The Fracture

(43:44) Part 8 - The Shadow Empire

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Episode 11

In this second episode of our Standard Oil series, John D. Rockefeller crosses the threshold from disciplined outsider to dominant industry force. What began as a moral and financial covenant among a few partners transforms into a sweeping strategy to consolidate power, cut waste, and outmaneuver rivals.

We follow the birth of the Standard Oil Trust—one of the most effective and controversial business structures ever created. As Rockefeller’s empire expands, he encounters new challenges, allies, and unexpected rewards. This is the story of ambition becoming infrastructure, and belief turning into monopoly.

Episode Chapters

(01:45) Part 3 - The Covenant

(34:03) Part 4 - The Trust is Born

(52:44) Part 5 - The Promised Land

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Episode 10

Before Standard Oil became a titan of American capitalism, there was a young man with a ledger and a quiet, relentless drive. In the first episode of our three-part series on Standard Oil, we meet John D. Rockefeller—not as the richest man in modern history, but as a meticulous clerk with an almost spiritual devotion to order, discipline, and numbers.

But Rockefeller’s world was anything but orderly. The oil fields of Pennsylvania were wild, speculative, and wasteful—a far cry from the structured empire he would one day build. As we enter the chaos of America’s first oil boom, we begin to see the forces that would push Rockefeller toward his radical vision: to tame the frontier, eliminate waste, and create a new kind of business.

This is the story of how strategy, faith, and frontier ambition collided—setting the stage for one of the most powerful companies in history.

Episode Chapters

(02:22) Part 1 - The Divine Ledger

(30:21) Part 2 - The Wild Frontier

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Episode 9