Why the Rockefellers Live to 100

The Rockefeller family is not just oil, banks, and multi-billion-dollar fortunes. It is also an example of extraordinary longevity passed down from generation to generation. The founder of the dynasty, John D. Rockefeller, lived to be 97, his grandson David Rockefeller lived to be 101, and the younger members of the family also surpass the eighties and nineties. The simple "lucky genes" explanation does not work here. The long years of the Rockefellers are due to a strict routine, a thought-out diet, access to the best medicine, and a special worldview. We analyze the factors in order.

A "clockwork" routine — the legacy of John Rockefeller

The main recipe for a long life that the founder of the dynasty formulated at the end of the 19th century. The New York Times newspaper published a detailed analysis of the billionaire's lifestyle in 1937, immediately after his death. Doctors called his 97 years the main cause of "punctual, clockwork habits." Every day of John Rockefeller's life was scheduled to the minute: waking up at 7 am, going to bed at 9 pm. Meals were at the same time with precisely measured portions. Even rest and recreation were fixed in the schedule.

There were no spontaneous decisions — only a predictable, stable rhythm that allowed for saving energy and avoiding stress. This pedantry applied to everything — from the number of steps to the minutes spent driving. Even elevators were installed in the Rockefeller home so that the elderly owner would not waste energy climbing stairs.

A vegetable diet: 75% vegetables and control over every product

John Rockefeller was one of the first in the world to introduce a personalized approach to nutrition. His diet was about three quarters vegetables. And not just any vegetables — greens were grown in their own greenhouses in the estates of New Jersey, Florida, and Tarrytown. When the billionaire moved from one house to another, baskets of fresh salad and other greens were sent with him on the trip. Broths and soups were only made from lamb raised on his personal farms. Milk was also "his own" — from cows whose health was monitored by veterinarians.

In his later years, John drank a lot of special fermented milk products. At the same time, doctors meticulously counted his calories and vitamin balance. Such a diet helped maintain a normal weight and avoid avitaminosis in old age.

A careful approach to physical activity

Rockefeller Sr. loved golf, but over the years doctors limited his game, replacing it with a more gentle load. In his old age, instead of golf, he took half-hour rides in a specially designed car — half-open, half-closed, with heating. Wrapped in blankets and protected from the wind by a paper jacket that reflected drafts, he would go out for half an hour every day. When this also became tiring, he was carried by his nurses or used a wheelchair to avoid wasting extra calories. Every day of his life was subordinate to saving energy.

Million-dollar medicine

The Rockefellers always had the best doctors and access to the most advanced methods. There were small clinics with equipment in their estates — devices for measuring the basal metabolic rate, fluoroscopes, oxygen cylinders that they took with them even on trips. Several doctors monitored their health, regularly calling each other to compare results and adjust diet or medication. David Rockefeller, the grandson of the founder, went even further. He underwent six heart transplants. The first operation was performed at the age of 61 after a severe accident, the last at around 99 years old. Each new transplant added years to his life and, according to his own words, a sense of "rebirth." In addition to the heart, he also received kidney transplants.

The psychology of a longevity: no stress

All the Rockefellers knew when to step back from their duties. John Rockefeller retired from managing Standard Oil at the age of 58, when doctors warned him about his deteriorating health — he switched from the pursuit of profit to gardening and golf, shifting his attention from money to pleasures. David Rockefeller left his position as the head of Chase Manhattan Bank at the age of 66, devoting the rest of his life to philanthropy, travel, and hobbies. For example, he collected a collection of 40,000 beetles — one of the largest collections of insects in the world.

David himself said that the secret of his longevity was "a love for life, simple things, playing with children, time with close friends." He did not focus on age, actively traveled, and maintained curiosity about the world. John Rockefeller, on all questions about the secret of longevity, replied with a smile: "I just go to bed early and laugh a lot." And added that rest is not wasted time, it helps to do more during waking hours.

Genetics, money, or temperament?

Despite all the regimes and operations, it is impossible to ignore heredity. John Rockefeller's father lived to be 86, which was also a lot for the second half of the 19th century. However, experts emphasize that almost a century of life cannot be explained by genes alone. In the case of the Rockefeller family, a complex worked: strict discipline, access to the best medicine, financial ability to change the climate, eat organic products, and undergo multiple organ transplants. However, the family members themselves attribute the decisive role to a positive outlook on life and the ability to "take a break" in time. Not surprisingly, David Rockefeller, who lived to be over a hundred, always replied to the question about the recipe: "Just love what you do and don't forget to rest."