Alida Rockefeller Messinger

Alida Rockefeller Messinger
Born
Alida Ferry Rockefeller

1948 (age 75–76)
New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1978; div. 1986)​
  • William Messinger
Children3
Parent(s)John D. Rockefeller III
Blanchette Ferry Hooker
RelativesSee Rockefeller family

Alida Rockefeller Messinger (born 1948) is an American philanthropist who is an heir to the Rockefeller family fortune.[1]

A donor to Democratic candidates and environmentalist causes, she is the former of wife of Minnesota governor and U.S. Senator Mark Dayton.[2] Messinger is also a sister of ex-West Virginia governor and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller. She has notably been a major donor to progressive political causes in her home state of Minnesota.[3]

Outside of activism, she is a former trustee of the Rockefeller Family Fund, a public charity started by her father and his siblings. Her great-grandfather is John D. Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard Oil Company and widely considered to be the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history.[4]

  1. ^ Todd, Richard (1976-04-01). "The Rich Get Rich, but They Also Get Children". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  2. ^ Helgeson, Baird (October 23, 2011). "Heir adds a voice to her millions". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  3. ^ Kroll, Andy (2014-08-28). "Meet the Billionaires Backing Team Blue With a Megaphone Only Money Can Buy". The American Prospect. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  4. ^ "John D. Rockefeller: The Richest Man in the World - Case - Faculty & Research - Harvard Business School". www.hbs.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-21.