re: #257 KGxvi

It’s questionable whether Standard Oil was really doing anything anti-competitive, or at least so egregious that it would require breaking up the company. But it got so big, controlling something like 90% of the market, that it was untenable to allow it to continue to exist as it did.

According to Wikipedia, by the time it was broken up, it was down to about 2/3 market share. But it was doing things like undercutting prices in one area to suppress competition, and making up the price in other areas; and negotiating contracts to prevent competition.

An side effect of the breakup is it is what made Rockefeller the richest man in the world.