The Government Tried to Break Up Rockefeller's Empire. It Made Him Richer.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil in 1911, John D. Rockefeller owned so much stock in each of the 34 successor companies that he personally became wealthier after the breakup than before it!

As the newly independent firms competed and their share prices rose independently, Rockefeller's total holdings increased enormously.

The antitrust action intended to curb his power inadvertently multiplied his personal fortune within just a few years.