Am I Richer Than the Richest American? The richest American in history was John D. Rockefeller, an oil entrepreneur that lived from 1839 to 1937. Adjusting for inflation, his wealth would be equivalent of about $250 billion today, about $50 billion more than today's richest person, Elon Musk. Despite Rockefller's great wealth, he didn't have many of the modern conveniences that we enjoy today. He couldn't stream movis in bed or even turn on an air conditioner during the heat of the summer. He couldn't text his friends or play video game. Consider Mr. Rockefeller's quality of life compared to yours. If you had the opportunity, would you choose to live in his day and age with all of his wealth, or would you prefer an average lifestyle today? Take into consideration not only the goods and services available to you today, but also where you would fit in during the 19th century if you had the same gender, ethnic and racial distinctions that you have today