Rockefeller was America’s first billionaire. Current wealth status overview.

On September 29, 1916, John D. Rockefeller became America’s first billionaire as Standard Oil’s stock surged. Today, the U.S. boasts over 900 billionaires, primarily from tech and finance, controlling approximately $6.8 trillion in wealth, with the top 1% holding over a third of the nation’s wealth, reminiscent of the Gilded Age’s industrialists.