The number one billion was unknown until just over five centuries ago, when the French scientist Nicolas Choquet coined the term in his manuscript "The Trilogy of Numbers." A billion was initially defined as "a million million," or one followed by twelve zeros.

Although this form of the number didn't reach Britain until the 17th century, by the 19th century, the abbreviated form was in use and was adopted in most countries worldwide as one followed by nine zeros in 1950.

The discussion here revolves around the term, "billion," not the existence of the number. 

However, the use of "billion" to describe someone's immense wealth dates back to 1916, when newspapers reported on the fortune of John D. Rockefeller, the oil industry magnate and co-founder of Standard Oil.

The starting point of wealth creation

In 1916, Rockefeller's fortune reached $1 billion, equivalent to 2 percent of the US GDP at the time. This figure would now represent more than USD 600 billion in wealth, compared to the size of the US economy at $30.49 trillion.

Despite more than a century having passed since the term "billionaire" was coined to describe someone's wealth, Rockefeller still holds the record for the highest net worth in history. 

Rockefeller capitalised on the economic crisis and stock market crash of 1873, purchasing 22 out of 26 refineries in East Ohio. This allowed him to control approximately 90 percent of the oil refining industry in the United States, earning him the nickname "The Devil of Cleveland."

Birth, upbringing, and his mother's role in changing his life's course

Rockefeller, whose zodiac sigh is Cancer, was deeply emotional but anxious and afraid to express his feelings. He also possessed a strong emotional connection to money. He was a lover of banknotes because they gave him a sense of security and power.

The moon is the ruling planet of Cancer, and in ancient mythology, it is said that the moon is the face of the mother who watches over her children in the darkness. A Cancer native finds security only in their first home, where their mother resides. For them, the mother is the origin, true love, protection, and the memory to which they return in this harsh world. 

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His anxiety was so intense that his health deteriorated to a critical point, and at the age of fifty-three, he looked like a skeleton emerging from the grave. He lived in fear of the spectre of poverty and of losing everything he owned, never allowing himself to spend a single dollar on travel or anything enjoyable, even though he was the richest man on earth!

He was the epitome of extreme stinginess and the denial of rights, until he fell ill. Doctors told him he would die if he did not overcome his anxiety and advised him to try to enjoy life. Only then did Rockefeller remember his mother's advice.

Rockefeller's devout and hardworking mother taught him that it was the duty of every believer to give to charity.

Rockefeller remembered this and began to find relief from anxiety and healing when he discovered his happiness in helping the needy and the sick. He built the universities of Tusleigh and Chicago, established a foundation in his name to combat ignorance and disease, and donated millions to fight the hookworm and cholera epidemics. 

He successfully supported the development of penicillin, combated meningitis, and fought many other intractable diseases. He lived to the age of 97 and became a symbol of boundless generosity—the other side of the moon.

This compassionate man was the same man who was previously stingy and harsh, about whom the American writer Daniel Yergin said: "The young man who won the auction in 1865 was 26 years old and made a repulsive impression, astonishing others as a recluse, distant, taciturn, aloof, and ascetic." Like the distant, silent moon, no one knows its true nature or what its next move will be.

The world's richest person, Elon Musk, has a net worth of approximately $473 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His wealth is equivalent to less than 1.5 percent of the US GDP. Although Musk's recent bonuses promise to make him the richest person in history and surpass Rockefeller's record, the growing debt of the American economy may prevent him from achieving this.

Going back to Rockefeller, his company, Standard Oil, controlled 90 percent of the American oil market by 1900. This prompted Congress to pass antitrust laws, forcing him to break up his company into smaller entities. However, these laws did not stop his wealth from continuing to rise, as the newly formed companies experienced successive increases in value.

Rockefeller owned significant stakes in Exxon, Mobil, and Chevron, as well as investments in refining and distribution companies, and around 20 of the world's largest energy companies to this day.

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Photo: Elon Musk is still not as wealthy as Rockefeller as a percentage of US GDP.