Billionaire And Philanthropist David Rockefeller Dies At 101
Billionaire philanthropist David Rockefeller died in his sleep early Monday in his lower Hudson Valley home. Fortune reports he died of heart failure, he was 101 years old.
Rockefeller, a highly regarded business man, was quite generous with his fortune. Earlier this year, Forbes magazine estimated his worth to be in the three billion dollar range. He reportedly donated more than two billion dollars to charitable organizations over the years.
As head of Chase Bank from 1969 to 1981, he oversaw the company grow from a $5 billion company to more than $76 billion when he left the job. However, objectives he pushed for weren't always popular with the public. He pushed for free trade with the Soviet Union and China during the Cold War and played a role in the Iran hostage crisis in 1979.
Fortune reports he was born in Manhattan where he lived growing up. His wife Peggy pre-deceased him in 1996, they had six kids and 10 grandchildren.