andrew carnegie

Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist who led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century, becoming one of the richest Americans in history. He was a pioneering philanthropist who gave away about $350 million—nearly 90% of his fortune—to charities, foundations, and universities during the last 18 years of his life. Carnegie is known for his 1889 article "The Gospel of Wealth," which encouraged the rich to use their wealth for the betterment of society. Carnegie immigrated to the United States from Scotland at age 12 and started working in a cotton mill, later moving up to roles such as telegrapher and investments in railroads and oil. He built the Carnegie Steel Company, which he sold in 1901 to J.P. Morgan for $303 million, forming the basis of U.S. Steel Corporation. Beyond business, Carnegie was heavily involved in philanthropy, funding libraries, educational institutions, museums, and charitable organizations around the world. He emphasized the importance of self-education and access to knowledge through initiatives like building over 2,500 libraries, primarily in the U.S. Carnegie also supported progressive taxation, estate taxes, and was an opponent of imperialism. His philanthropic legacy includes the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and many others. His life story exemplifies a rags-to-riches success bolstered by a belief in capitalism combined with social responsibility.