Why is John D. Rockefeller famous? A. He started as a low-paid iron worker in a mill and eventually became the founder of U.S. Steel Corporation. B. He owned several large banks and on one occasion loaned the U.S. government $62 million. C. He turned his small company, Standard Oil, into a giant that monopolized the oil industry. D. He borrowed $50 to buy stock in the Union Pacific railroad and ended up owning the company.