History often remembers robber barons in an unkindly way. Below is a 1934 opinion from historian Matthew Josephson.

The industrial robber barons of the late 19th century were predatory and materialistic; their bloated corporations were threats to the humane and democratic values that made America great. Business tycoons turned modern America, with its standardized life and material culture, into a place in which Jefferson and Lincoln would be strangers. The giants of industry were primitive souls, ruthless, predatory, capable; single-minded men, rogues, and rascals often, but never feeble.”

In 1953, business historian Allan Nevis saw robber barons in a far more positive light.

Much of the blame heaped on the captains of industry in the late 19th century is unwarranted. Although people like Rockefeller used methods that were ethically questionable, the kind of monopolistic control that they exercised was a natural response to the cutthroat competition of the period. The captains of industry like Rockefeller were innovators, thinkers, planners, and bold entrepreneurs who imposed upon American industry more rational and efficient patterns. They also created a model of philanthropy for all to follow.”