Rockefeller’s Business Affected his Health
Rockefeller built up his wealth and fortune and created the massive Standard Oil Company. He was also susceptible to physical and mental illness. In his middle age, Rockefeller dealt with sadness for periods of time and was known as melancholic back then. The symptoms he exhibited would probably be identified as clinical depression nowadays.
John D. Rockefeller Sr. on his 91st birthday. Photo by Everett Collection / Shutterstock
In the 1890s, when Rockefeller was dealing with all the legal battles, he only ate occasionally and lost a lot of weight. That led to digestive problems, which made him feel too weak to exercise. During that decade, he also developed alopecia. The condition made him lose all of the hair on his body, including the hair on his eyebrows, lashes, and head. In his late forties, Rockefeller started wearing wigs to hide his appearance, but his lack of facial hair was often commented on.