american class, tycoons accumulated fortunes, but they also felt some obligation to the country around them. steel tycoon andrew carnegie famously built libraries for the education of people beneath him, jon d rockefeller and so-called other robber barons donated huge portions of their wealth and in some cases their property to make this country better. yellowstone, acadia national park, et cetera eight. in january of 1914, henry ford more than doubled the prevailing factory wage to a thin remarkable $5 for an eight hour day. ford didn't have to do that, but his company was succeeding and he thought he should. some historians credit the creation of the american middle-class to that decision. it was nearly impossible to imagine a big company doing anything like that today. attitudes are just too different. your average finance mogul looks at workers as costs to be reduced or eliminated.