Alex wants us to look at the Monopolies; I interpret that he means the Goodyears, Rasmussens, and the like. I'd love to. They are, as you say, a decent example of what we are talking about. And they get a really bad rap from most people these days. I'd like to present a different view of them. Such families accomplished great good for the country and their workers. Benefits packages were decent. These entrepreneurs funded great large-scale projects like railroads, buildings, and iron foundries. With the wealth they acquired, they established funds to give to the communities. I got about 15.6 million results when I searched Google for Rasmussen. Why? Because they support, with the wealth from those projects long ago, thousands of local to national causes that benefit the people. (Disclaimer - I am no expert in history. I freely admit that. But I do have a limited understanding of this period.)