Part 7/9:
However, immense power brings powerful enemies. Journalists, politicians, and competitors rallied against Rockefeller’s monopolistic practices. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 aimed to dismantle such monopolies, but it wasn't until the turn of the century, amplified by investigative journalist Ida Tarbell’s exposé, that widespread condemnation of Standard Oil erupted.
Rockefeller's legal battles with the U.S. government began in earnest, culminating in a landmark 1911 Supreme Court ruling that ordered the break-up of Standard Oil into 34 independent companies. While this appeared to be a setback for Rockefeller, it paradoxically turned into an opportunity, significantly increasing the value of his remaining stock in these newly independent companies.