[ncd]

In addition to the other comments, I would also note that it's untrue that Rockefeller started doing philanthropic work as "atonement" for his business practices. Even as a young man just getting his start as a bookkeeper at a small merchant, he gave a significant portion of his then-meager pay to charity.

He was a complicated man, no doubt, and he tended to gloss over some of the consequences of his actions when recalling his past, but he was, mostly, just vilified for being a brilliant businessman at a time when it was popular to do so.

[allisthemoist]

I imagine this complexity comes from his combination of economic and religious values. Interestingly, it was not uncommon for Protestants to have this kind of dilemma - they were encouraged to work very hard (see "The Protestant Work Ethic") for having success in life was the only indication that one was in god's favour. However, it was forbidden to actually spend one's earnings on selfish pursuits thus many Protestant businessmen reinvested the money into their enterprises which only increased their earning power.

[ci5er]

On top of that, his father was a philandering, alcoholic, gambling bigamist that left he and his mother when he was quite young. He strove all his life to not be "that guy".