Rockefeller’s Personal 38 Laws of Power He Gave His Son (Use These or Be Left Behind)

you stand at the edge of two paths one leads to power wealth and absolute control over your destiny the other mediocrity regret and a life dictated by men stronger than you I have walked the first path I have built an Empire I have taken what I desired not by chance not by luck but by force of will by Mastery of strategy by understanding the laws that govern success these laws are not theories they are proven forged in battle tested by fire and used to build the greatest Fortunes in history they are the difference between those

who command the world and those who are ruled by it most men will hear these lessons and do nothing they will hesitate they will doubt they will return to their ordinary powerless lives but you you are not most men if you have the will to rise if you have the strength to act then listen carefully because these words will shape your Empire you need to have the strength to believe that even though the starting point will affect the outcome it does not determine it factors such as ability attitude character ambition method experience and Luck play

an extremely important role in life in the business world I firmly believe that our destiny is determined by our actions not by our Origins when I was young my family was poor my first books were bought for me by kind neighbors my first job paid me only $5 a week but did I let my circumstances dictate my fate no I shaped my own path many wealthy heirs have lost everything many poor men have risen to Greatness the difference the willingness to act the willingness to take control you will not be given success my son you

will build it just as I did luck isn't just something that happens by chance it's something something we can actually plan for and design ourselves do not be like the ordinary man who sits idly and believes that fortune is bestowed upon Him by Fate no my son luck is the remnant of design it is the result of precise action and unrelenting strategy McCormack the great industrialist once said luck is the remnant of design he built his fortune not by waiting but by engineering his own opportunities I did the same in the oil industry I did

not Pray For Good Fortune I forced it into my hands I structured deals controlled Supply chains and built an Empire and when men looked at me and called me lucky I laughed because they did not see the work behind my so-called luck do not wait for Fortune to favor you create your own if you view work as a pleasure life is heaven if you view work as a duty life is hell a man's attitude toward work determines his Destiny I have never feared labor I have never seen it as a burden I have embraced it

as my greatest weapon when I was a bookkeeper I worked tirelessly I did not complain about the long hours or the meager pay I learned I observed I understood the flow of money and when the time came I used this knowledge to rise above my peers men who despise work will always be slaves to those who master it you must choose my son will you toil in misery or will you shape your labor into Power opportunity comes from taking action you can't wait for opportunities to come to you you have to go out and create

them yourself most men hesitate most men wait for the perfect moment but you my son must act While others think many Brilliant Minds have been wasted by in action many great ideas have died in the hands of those too fearful to execute them a good plan executed now is worth more than a perfect plan delayed indefinitely when I built Standard Oil I did not wait for ideal conditions I moved I took risks I adapted and I conquered Do not sit idle move strike dominate because the future belongs only to those who act as far as

my nature is concerned I do not meet competition I destroy competitors businesses is not a game my son it is a battlefield and I do not engage in competition I eliminate it when Benson tried to build a pipeline to rival mine I did not beg for peace I crushed him I controlled Supply chains blocked his routes and forced him into submission he had no choice but to surrender his Empire to me this is how you handle competition not with kindness not with comprom but with absolute un deniable Victory a lion does not share its prey

and an Empire does not tolerate Rivals the concept of borrowing money is viewed as a means to create opportunities for a prosperous future debt is not to be feared it is a tool a weapon a force that can either build Empires or ruin fools I borrowed money not for survival but for Conquest I used it to expand to acquire to control and when my competitors hesitated fearing debt I outmaneuvered them and took their place but be warned never borrow for weakness borrow for power let your debt serve you not enslave you wealth is directly proportional

to goal one is either planning to succeed or planning to fail do you have ambition my son do you have a goal so large that it shakes the foundations of your soul I have met many men with intelligence charm and talent yet they remain poor world will bend to your will the higher the risk the greater the return most men fear risk my son that is why most men remain small I did not build Standard Oil by playing it safe I took risks I entered the oil industry when others hesitated I borrowed money when others

feared debt I expanded when others were too cautious if you want to achieve something extraordinary you must be willing to step into the unknown known risk is not the enemy in action is a cautious man may live comfortably but he will never live greatly humiliation is not a bad thing if you are a person who knows how to reflect calmly you might think that humiliation is a measure of ability let me tell you a story my son when I was a child I was excluded from a class photograph because my clothes were too poor the

photographer said I would ruin the image at that moment I made a vow one day the most famous artist in the world would paint my portrait not because I was beautiful but because I was powerful I did not let humiliation Break Me I let it fuel me if someone insults you do not react with anger react with action let them watch as you rise beyond their imagination the more you think you can do it the smarter you will get in business as in war perception is everything if your opponent sees hesitation he will attack if

he senses weakness he will exploit it JP Morgan once tried to pressure me into selling my company he thought he could bully me like he did to so many others but I made it clear I do not bow I do not submit I do not negotiate from a place of fear he understood then that I was not just another businessman I was an immovable force you must project strength my son even when you feel doubt never let your opponent see it if you want to gain respect you must first respect yourself and the more you

respect yourself the more others will respect you a man is not respected because of his wealth but because of his conduct I have seen millionaires who were despised and I have seen poor men who were honored I built alliances by being fair I treated my business partners with integrity and in return they trusted me with their fortunes never bully the weak never betray an ally your reputation is worth more than gold do unto others as you would have them do unto you and you will never lack for power success is not measured by a person's

height weight education or family background but by the size of his thoughts most men think small and so they remain small but you my son must think as large as the sky itself I did not set out to own just one Refinery I set out to control an entire industry if you see yourself as ordinary you will remain ordinary but if you see yourself as a king the world will shape itself to fit your vision expand your mind expand your ambition the greater your vision the greater your destiny let money be my slave but do

not let me be a slave of money money is a tool my son use it wisely and it will multiply use it foolishly and it will enslave you I have seen men who inherited great fortunes only to squander them on luxuries and Idol Pleasures they did not control their money money controlled them every dollar you earn should serve a purpose it should be reinvested expanded multiplied waste nothing a man who spends his wealth on Pleasure it is no different from a drunker throwing coins into the street a fool acts without thinking a wise man thinks

before he acts most men are ruled by their impulses they chase immediate pleasure short-term gains and fleeting distractions I have seen businesses ruined because of rash decisions I have seen fortunes lost because of momentary greed patience my son is the greatest weapon in Your Arsenal think before you act Plan before you move control your impulses and you will control control your destiny only by curiosity can you discover opportunities and by taking risks can you make use of them Fortune does not favor the weak it favors those who dare to reach for it I entered the

oil industry when others feared its volatility I took risks that others shied away from and because of this I built an Empire the man who waits for the perfect opportunity will die waiting the man who takes bold action will make his own fortune the world belongs to the brave my son be among them the more you think you can do it the brighter you will become and a positive attitude will create success doubt is a disease my son it infects the mind and weakens the will if you allow it to take root it will destroy

you when I was young I believed without hesitation that I would be the richest man in the world and because I believed it I worked for it and because I worked for it I achieved it you will become what you believe you are believe that you are destined for greatness and the world will rise to meet you most people fail not because they make mistakes but because they are not fully committed let me tell you something most men never understand success is not a destination it is a cycle the moment you think you have reached

the top is the moment you start your decline I once asked Andrew Carnegie about his secret to success he said the the end is just the beginning and he was right great men do not stop when they reach their goals they set new ones they move forward they treat every Victory as the foundation for the next Conquest never rest my son never stop the moment you celebrate is the moment your next War begins remember John people who say you cannot do it are people who cannot succeed weak men will always try to pull you down

why because your ambition reminds them of their own failure I have seen men of talent waste their potential because they listen to doubters I have seen great ideas abandoned because of the words of cowards let me tell you something my son those who tell you it cannot be done are revealing their own limits not yours ignore them prove them wrong and when you stand at the top remember it was their doubt that fueled your rise having a purpose is the basis of my leadership and it is everything without purpose a man is lost lost without

Direction he drifts like a ship without a captain carried by the wind and tides of Fate I have never done anything without a goal when I built Standard Oil I knew from the start that I would control the entire industry this was not a vague wish it was a defined Mission every day I set goals every meeting has a purpose every decision serves a larger Vision this is why I win you must do the same my son set your purpose make it clear here then let nothing and no one divert you from it the stronger

you are the lesser the influence others will have blame is the favorite tool of the week excuses are the Refuge of the mediocre I do not blame the market when things go wrong I do not blame the economy the government or my competitors I look inward I ask what can I do to change this how do I turn this into an advantage a leader who blames others has already lost a man who makes excuses will never command respect you my son will never be one of them when things go wrong take responsibility then fix it

that is the way of power do what you like to do and leave other things to the people who like to do it a foolish man tries to do everything himself a wise man surrounds himself with experts and lets them Excel I built my Empire not by being the smartest man in the room but by hiring men who were smarter than me in their fields I did not refine oil I hired the best refiners I did not build railroads I partnered with the greatest Engineers my power came not from doing everything but from orchestrating everything

you must learn this my son use people's strengths let them Thrive and in doing so you will build an Empire greater than you could ever build alone every moment is the key and every decision affects the course of life so we must have a determined strategy many men act without thinking they make decisions based on impulse on emotion on immediate gratification and because of this they fail I have never made a move without considering its consequences I have never made an investment without foreseeing its long-term effects business is like War every battle must be planned

every action must serve a greater strategy never move blindly my son always think 5 10 20 years ahead the man who plans furthest wins we are a family we share the honor and disgrace a leader who mistreats his workers is a fool a leader who values his team will build an Empire I paid my employees well I rewarded loyalty and because of this my Workforce was the strongest in the industry other businessmen saw workers as disposable I saw them as the foundation of My Success treat those who serve you with respect my son a loyal

Army will take you further than gold ever could with great wealth comes great responsibility wealth is not just a privilege it is an obligation a duty to build to create to uplift I did not hoard my fortune like a miser I used it to shape in the world I built universities funded medical research SE Arch and eradicated diseases if you are fortunate enough to build great wealth you must also have the wisdom to use it for something greater than yourself this is how a man's Legacy is written not in Gold but in the impact he

leaves behind you have to pay attention to your environment make your environment serve your work not drag you down a man's mind is his greatest weapon sharpen it feed it protect it from corruption surround yourself with great thinkers not fools read constantly learn endlessly question everything most men let their minds rot in complacency do not be one of them a sharp mind will bring you more power than a hundred armies anyone can be great but only those who choose to act on their potential will be I was not born into wealth I had no great

inheritance no powerful connections and yet I became the richest man in the world greatness is not given my son it is earned through discipline through sacrifice through Relentless ambition anyone can rise but only those who have the will to fight for it will so I ask you now will you be one of them the person who thinks the most feels the noblest and acts the most righteous lives the most fulfilling life my son power is not just about wealth or control true power is the ability to shape the world through thought thought action and integrity

many men seek money many men seek Fame but very few seek wisdom righteousness and a life that truly fulfills them I have built Empires crushed competition and accumulated more wealth than any man before me but what truly satisfies me is the Legacy I leave behind not just in business but in how I have lived my life think deeply act boldly live righteously only then will you have lived a life worth remembering now allow me to boldly say that the biggest mistake we often make when judging whether a person is a big person is that we

always think that big people have spacious offices there are men who hold great titles but lack true greatness and there are men who have no title at all yet shape the world with their actions I have seen Kings who were weak I have seen farmers who were wise power does not come from position it comes from what you do with the position you hold a man who rules with wisdom is greater than a king who rules with arrogance and a businessman who uplifts his people is greater than a politician who serves only himself judge men

not by their titles my son but by their deeds and let your own Deeds Define your legacy my son generosity is not limited to monetary wealth alone it extends far beyond material possessions a fool gives everything away and is left with nothing A wise man gives in a way that strengthens both himself and those around him when I donate I do it not out of guilt but because I understand that true power comes not from hoarding wealth but from using it wisely to shape the world but generosity without wisdom is wasted many men have given

away their fortunes only to see them misused be generous but be strategic ensure that what you give serves a purpose in giving my son remember this it is not the amount that matters but the impact it creates patience is not blind tolerance you need to calmly consider the situation and know whether your decision will deviate from or harm your goals impatience has ruined more fortunes than failure ever has the weak man rushes acts in haste and regrets his choices the strong man Waits observes and Strikes at the the perfect moment I did not build Standard

Oil overnight I waited for the right opportunities acquired my competitors one by one and expanded when others were too fearful to act patience does not mean inaction it means knowing when to move and when to hold your ground it is a weapon my son wield it wisely employers are the guardians of employees and my employees problems are also my problems a ruler who leads through fear will always look over his shoulder a leader who earns loyalty will never have to look back I have seen many businessmen treat their employees as disposable tools and I have

seen those same businessmen wonder why their companies failed when hard times came I treated my employees well not just out of kindness but because I understood that a strong loyal Workforce is an Empire's Foundation you can demand obedience my son or you can earn loyalty one last s moment the other lasts a lifetime with great wealth comes great responsibility money is power but Power without responsibility is chaos many men dream of being rich yet they never ask themselves what will I do with this wealth I built fortunes but I also built universities funded medical research

and shaped industries that improve the lives of millions this is the true purpose of wealth not just accumulation but impact if you are fortunate enough to gain power my son use it wisely use it to build not just a hoorde for a rich man who serves only himself will die forgotten you have to pay attention to your environment make your environment serve your work not drag you down a man's mind is his greatest weapon but like any weapon it must be sharpened trained and refined I have never stopped learning I have read studied and surrounded

myself with men of great intellect because a dull mind leads to a dull life if you let yourself be surrounded by fools you will think like a fool if you waste your time on distractions you will never create anything of value shape your mind my son and the world will reshape itself around you you have now heard the laws that built an Empire you have been given the keys to power wealth in dominance but knowing them is not enough most men listen and forget they nod their heads whisper that this is wise advice and then

return to their weak mediocre lives but you you are not most men if you truly wish to be great you must act you must embody these principles in every decision every deal every war you fight you must think bigger move faster and outwork every man around you I have given you everything you need the only question left is will you use it will you build your Empire will you rise to power or will you let these lessons fade into nothing as weak men do the world does not reward hesitation it does not wait for you

it belongs to those who take it so take it my son take what is yours and never look back