J. P. Morgan was an American banker who dominated finance during the Gilded Age. He was the head of the banking firm J.P. Morgan and Co., but he was a controversial character.
Some people saw Morgan as responsible for the strengthening of the national economy and as being committed to the improvement of the country's position internationally. However, his business practices often benefitted the rich only, or contributed to inequality. Morgan justified his methods by arguing for stability and for the good of the nation as a whole. However, the political left often considered him as one of the reasons for the social problems of the era.