The Family that Made Exxon Is Now a Thorn in Its Side

John D. Rockefeller became the richest man on earth because he founded Standard Oil in 1870; later, it was broken up into several oil companies, including ExxonMobil. His wealth, and Exxon's, continue to make the family wealthy.

Yet a number of today's Rockefellers are biting the hand that's been feeding them. They've filed shareholder resolutions and attempted to divest from the company. Notably, they also funded a team of investigative journalists who helped unearth what the oil giant knew about climate change and what it sought to keep hidden from the public.

"It's hard for me to imagine that they don't see a little bit of kind of atoning for things, or making some kind of amends," said Reeves Wiedeman, who wrote about the rogue Rockefellers for New York magazine.

Exxon has said that by funding investigative articles and stoking public outcry, the family is conspiring against the company.

Wiedeman writes, "[The Rockefeller] descendants did not deny having coordinated their efforts to bring Exxon to task. They simply disagreed with the idea that they had done anything wrong."

According to Wiedeman, some of John D.'s great-great-grandchildren believe there is a "moral imperative" for their investor activism. But even within the family, opinions differ. Other Rockefellers are not as interested in climate change advocacy, or putting the family name in the public eye.