Top-ranked Rockefeller book at center of publishing mystery

The mystery around a top-selling Amazon book attributed to John D. Rockefeller has grown to include a university publisher, which denies any involvement in the book despite being listed as it’s publisher.

CNBC began raising questions last month about the authenticity of “The 38 Letters from J.D. Rockefeller to his son: Perspective, Ideology and Wisdom,” a purported collection of letters by John D. Rockefeller Sr. sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other sites.

The mysterious origin of “The 38 Letters” raises a host of questions about publishing and the surge in wealth-help books.

The book is ranked No. 22 on Amazon’s list of best-selling economic history books, yet it’s filled with factual errors and the letters often bear little resemblance to Rockefeller’s other writings, CNBC previously reported.

The Rockefeller Archive Center, whose mission includes preserving and cataloguing Rockefeller family history for philanthropy, said it was unable to find any letters from John D. Rockefeller Sr. or to John D. Rockefeller Jr. that match those in the book. It also cited major factual errors in book, including an incorrect year for John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s graduation from Brown as well as a supposed 1902 letter that mentioned Citibank, which wasn’t created until 1976.

“The authenticity of the book ‘The 38 Letters from J.D. Rockefeller to his Son’ is questionable,” the Archive center told CNBC in a statement.

Now caught in the confusion is OpenStax, the nonprofit publisher of open educational resources at Rice University, which is listed as the book’s publisher in some printings.

“We are not the publisher of this title,” a spokesperson for OpenStax told CNBC in a statement, adding that the publisher is “investigating the situation to protect our brand and ensure accurate information.”

Basic questions about the book remain unanswered: Who is the actual writer? How did it go unchallenged by so many readers for so long? Who’s profiting?

It’s popularity also highlights the enduring fascination with John D. Rockefeller, America’s first billionaire, and the vaunted Rockefeller family. Now in its seventh generation, with its wealth outshined by newer fortunes, the Rockefeller family name still holds almost mythical status around the world. Rockefeller-owned properties, artworks and personal items fetch hefty premiums when they come up for sale, from buyers around the world.

Works of art and personal items owned by Peggy and David Rockefeller, John D.’s grandson, fetched over $835 million at auction at Christie’s in 2018.

The Rockefeller name has even spawned a cottage industry in China of Rockefeller lessons and business advice.

“The 38 Letters” book has quickly became a popular financial- and parenting-advice book on Amazon, with 832 reviews on the book-selling site and an average review of 4.7 stars out of 5 on Amazon-owned review site Goodreads.

One version of the book, featuring cover art of John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s face superimposed on Rockefeller Center, lists “G. Ng” as the compiler and editor and “M. Tan” as translator. Neither Ng nor Tan could be identified or reached for comment and there is no information about them in the book or on Amazon.

Another version of the book, which shows John D. Rockefeller Sr. at his writing desk, doesn’t list an editor or author. It does list OpenStax as the publisher, with a copyright of 2023. OpenStax said it wasn’t aware of the book until it was contacted by CNBC.

Amazon declined to comment on the book or its authenticity. The company issued a statement to CNBC saying, “We have content guidelines governing which books can be listed for sale. We invest significant time and resources to ensure our guidelines are followed.”

Amazon didn’t specify whether the book follows its guidelines. One of its guidelines relating to “Poor Customer Experience,” rejects “descriptive content meant to mislead customers or that doesn’t accurately represent the content of the book.” Barnes & Noble didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s letters have been the subject of several authentic books. A book of letters edited by Archive Center Director Emeritus Joseph W. Ernst in 1994, titled “Dear Father, Dear Son: Correspondence of John D. Rockefeller and John D. Rockefeller Jr.” has 27 reviews on Amazon and a 4.1 average rating on Goodreads. Rockefeller Sr. also wrote “Random Reminiscences of Men and Events: In his own words, advice and perspective from the wealthiest man in history,” published in 1909.

The “38 Letters,” however, is filled with modern vernacular and unusual references. In some of the letters, John D. Sr., who was a devout Baptist, boasts about how he bested business rivals, made winning his chief mission in life and believed that being called “greedy” was high praise. “In my heart, I really reserved a place for greed,” one letter reads. “Greed is necessary!”

One letter states: “The first and last chapter of the Book of Wisdom states that ‘there is no free lunch in the world.'”