Centurion, Billionaire and Philanthropist David Rockefeller Passes Away In His Sleep

The last of a generation, billionaire David Rockefeller passed away in his sleep at his home in New York. A spokesperson for the family revealed the famous philanthropist was 101 at the time of his passing.

A member of the glamorous American family, David Rockefeller was the last surviving grandson of oil tycoon John D Rockefeller,  Bloomberg reported. The Standard Oil company was co-founded by Rockefeller's grandfather.

David Rockefeller was the patriarch and the head of his family's dynasty. He controlled both its business interests as well as its philanthropic work, the publication noted. He was the youngest of five brothers and while he did not use his fortunes to gain leverage into political office he had two brothers who worked for the United States government.

David Rockefeller's brother Nelson Rockefeller served as New York's governor and briefly held office as Vice President. This was during his brother Winthrop Rockefeller's stint as governor of Arkansas, BBC reported.

Having graduated from Harvard, David Rockefeller studied for a doctorate in economics at Chicago University in 1940. Thereafter he served in the army during the second World War and joined Chase Bank which became JP Morgan later on.

Many remember David Rockefeller as the confidant of world leaders, the New York Times reported. From leaders such as China's Deng Xiaoping to South Africa's Nelson Mandela to the Shah of Iran and Henry Kissinger - many sought his advice and counsel.

According to the publication, it was David Rockefeller who asked Jimmy Carter to allow the Shah of Iran into the United States for cancer treatment. This eventually led to the seizing of Americans as hostages in Tehran in 1979.

David Rockefeller is also remembered for his generosity. In 2006, he gifted more than $200 million to a fund he and his brothers' began called the Rockefeller Brothers' Fund. The fund was established to promoted social change across the globe.