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eXXon
If the game were all over today, EXXON would be the winner. A president of this company once made an annual salary of over 3 times that of the President of the United States. Originally Standard of New Jersey, later Humble Oil, this was and is the grandaddy of all corporations. It was started by Nelson Rockefeller's grandfather, billionaire John D. Rockefeller.
On August 20, 1974, eleven days after Gerald Ford assumed the vacated Presidency of Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller was nominated to be the Vice-President of the United States of America. At his confirmation hearings, Rockefeller submitted a statement which listed his financial holdings. He stated that he and his wife's total assets amounted to $64 million. The value of the stock owned was determined by market prices as of August 23, 1974. By Mr. Rockefeller's own figures, he held $983,945 worth of EXXON, $403,900 worth of Standard of Indiana, and $142,582 worth of Standard of California when he assumed the Vice-Presidency. In addition, he owned $980,590 worth of IBM and held considerable pieces of numerous other huge corporations. Rockefeller stated that he had given over $53 million away as gifts, had paid $69 million to state, federal, and local taxes, and had given family members more than $15 million.
However, Rockefeller's stated worth did not include the trusts created by his father for his children. In two trusts (as of August 23, 1974): Over $25 million worth of EXXON, more than $8 1/2 million worth of Standard of California, over $15 million worth of IBM, more than $2 million worth of General Electric, over $1 million worth of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, and more than $9 million worth of Kodak. Numerous other stocks, state and municipal bonds, and treasury bills were also part of this enormous family trust.
On January 5, 1975 President Ford named Vice-President Rockefeller to head an 8-member commission whose task was to investigate possible illegal policies and practices of the CIA. After five months of investigation, the panel presented President Ford a 299-page report on June 6th. What truth this committee's report might offer is questionable since later in the same year President Ford expressed displeasure when, over his objections, a Senate report on the CIA was made public.
Nelson Rockefeller died January 26, 1979, at the age
of 70. There was no autopsy. His estate Was valued at $66 million.
Is EXXON really concerned about energy for a strong America?
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