Who was the owner of the Shell Transport and Trading Company in the late 19th and early 20th Century?

• A. Fred Lane
• B. Lord Rothschild
• C. J. D. Rockefeller
• D. Marcus Samuel

Answer: (D)

Marcus Samuel built and owned the Shell Transport and Trading Company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a British merchant who expanded into oil trading and shipping, using the Shell name as the brand for his business. This company later formed a partnership with the Dutch firm Royal Dutch to become Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies. The other names listed are not associated with Shell Transport and Trading in that era—Rockefeller led Standard Oil, the Rothschilds are a banking family, and Fred Lane isn’t connected to Shell.