Here is Walter speaking to a family member, "If that's true. If you don't know who I am, then. maybe your best course would be to tread lightly."("Bloody Money")Breaking Bad Finally, power is a big influencer on how we approach life and Walter relished this. Walter in reality is not much different than John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt. These three captains of industry embodied all the attributes mentioned previously. All three of these men came from poor families before they began their ascent to the top. Just like Walter they were nothing special and struggled from day to day to exist. None of the three were educated men and started work at very early ages. Once at the top, they did everything possible to remain there. All three were in industries that were vital to the everyday needs of the American public and consequently there was a great demand. By utilizing their power, influence and fraudulent business practices they were able to control prices from suppliers as well as control the market price. John D Rockefeller actually owned the first monopoly. We see this with Walter and his relationship with Gus. Walter entered the meth business under the guise of making money for his family because he was diagnosed with cancer and when he died he would be able to give this fund to his family. He was making plenty of money for his family but Walt's need for power overrode his desire for family. Walt eventually eliminates Gus so he can move further up the hierarchy. Our three captains of industry embodied the same philosophy. They were able to eliminate most of their competition and have a monopoly which allowed them to price their product how they wanted to and generate huge amounts of wealth. Most characterizations of how these three giants of industry reached the pinnacles they did are not flattering. Consider the following, "Robber Baron was a term applied to a businessman in the 19th century who engaged in unethical and monopolistic practices, wielded widespread political influence, and amassed enormous wealth.
