American businessman and philanthropist (1835–1919)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Carnegie</span>

Andrew Carnegie

<p><b>Andrew Carnegie</b> (<small about="#mwt29" typeof="mw:Transclusion" data-mw="{&quot;parts&quot;:[{&quot;template&quot;:{&quot;target&quot;:{&quot;wt&quot;:&quot;IPA-sco&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;./Template:IPA-sco&quot;},&quot;params&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:{&quot;wt&quot;:&quot;kɑrˈnɛːɡi&quot;},&quot;2&quot;:{&quot;wt&quot;:&quot;lang&quot;}},&quot;i&quot;:0}}]}">Scots:<span>&nbsp;</span></small><span class="IPA"><a href="/en/Help:IPA" title="Help:IPA" class="wl">[kɑrˈnɛːɡi]</a></span>, <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><small>English: </small><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt"><a href="/en/Help:IPA/English" title="Help:IPA/English" class="wl">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span>k</span><span>ɑːr</span><span>ˈ</span><span>n</span><span>ɛ</span><span>ɡ</span><span>i</span></span>/</a></span></span> <a href="/en/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key" title="Help:Pronunciation respelling key" class="wl"><i title="English pronunciation respelling">kar-<span style="font-size:90%">NEG</span>-ee</i></a>;<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-3"><a href="#cite_note-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-first_5-0"><a href="#cite_note-first-5" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;" data-mw-group="note"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[note 1]</span></a></span> November 25, 1835<span>&nbsp;</span><span>–</span><span> </span>August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American <a href="/en/Business_magnate" title="Business magnate" class="wl">industrialist</a> and <a href="/en/Philanthropy" title="Philanthropy" class="wl">philanthropist</a>. Carnegie led the expansion of the <a href="/en/History_of_the_iron_and_steel_industry_in_the_United_States" title="History of the iron and steel industry in the United States" class="wl">American steel industry</a> in the late 19th century and became one of the <a href="/en/List_of_richest_Americans_in_history" title="List of richest Americans in history" class="wl">richest Americans</a> in history.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="#cite_note-6" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 5;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[5]</span></a></span> He became a leading philanthropist in the United States, Great Britain, and the <a href="/en/British_Empire" title="British Empire" class="wl">British Empire</a>. During the last 18 years of his life, he gave away around $350 million (roughly $<span>5.5</span><span>&nbsp;</span>billion in <span>2021</span>),<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-7"><a href="#cite_note-7" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 6;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[6]</span></a></span> almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities, foundations and universities.<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-ACLegacy_8-0"><a href="#cite_note-ACLegacy-8" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 7;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[7]</span></a></span> His 1889 article proclaiming "<a href="/en/The_Gospel_of_Wealth" title="The Gospel of Wealth" class="wl">The Gospel of Wealth</a>" called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for <a href="/en/Progressive_tax" title="Progressive tax" class="wl">progressive taxation</a> and an <a href="/en/Inheritance_tax" title="Inheritance tax" class="wl">estate tax</a>, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">American businessman and philanthropist (1835–1919)</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: Andrew Carnegie, Born, Died, Resting place, O...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox biography vcard mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size:125%;"><div class="fn" style="display:inline">Andrew Carnegie</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size"><a href="/en/File:Andrew_Carnegie,_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Andrew_Carnegie,_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg/220px-Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="2516" data-file-height="3341" data-file-type="bitmap" height="292" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg/330px-Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg/440px-Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg 2x" alt="Andrew_Carnegie%2C_by_Theodore_Marceau.jpg"></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Carnegie in 1913</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data"><span style="display:none">(<span class="bday">1835-11-25</span>)</span>November 25, 1835<br><div style="display:inline" class="birthplace"><a href="/en/Dunfermline" title="Dunfermline" class="wl">Dunfermline</a>, <a href="/en/Fife" title="Fife" class="wl">Fife</a>, Scotland</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data">August 11, 1919<span style="display:none">(1919-08-11)</span> (aged<span>&nbsp;</span>83)<br><div style="display:inline" class="deathplace"><a href="/en/Lenox,_Massachusetts" title="Lenox, Massachusetts" class="wl">Lenox, Massachusetts</a>, U.S.</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Resting place</th><td class="infobox-data label"><a href="/en/Sleepy_Hollow_Cemetery" title="Sleepy Hollow Cemetery" class="wl">Sleepy Hollow Cemetery</a>, <a href="/en/Sleepy_Hollow,_New_York" title="Sleepy Hollow, New York" class="wl">Sleepy Hollow, New York</a>, U.S.</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Occupation(s)</th><td class="infobox-data role"><a href="/en/Industrialist" title="Industrialist" class="mw-redirect wl">Industrialist</a>, <a href="/en/Philanthropist" title="Philanthropist" class="mw-redirect wl">Philanthropist</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Known<span>&nbsp;</span>for</th><td class="infobox-data">Founding and leading the <a href="/en/Carnegie_Steel_Company" title="Carnegie Steel Company" class="wl">Carnegie Steel Company</a> <div class="paragraphbreak" style="margin-top:0.5em"></div> Founding the <a href="/en/Carnegie_Library" title="Carnegie Library" class="mw-redirect wl">Carnegie Library</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Hall" title="Carnegie Hall" class="wl">Carnegie Hall</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Institution_for_Science" title="Carnegie Institution for Science" class="wl">Carnegie Institution for Science</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Corporation_of_New_York" title="Carnegie Corporation of New York" class="wl">Carnegie Corporation of New York</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Endowment_for_International_Peace" title="Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" class="wl">Carnegie Endowment for International Peace</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Mellon_University" title="Carnegie Mellon University" class="wl">Carnegie Mellon University</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Trust_for_the_Universities_of_Scotland" title="Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland" class="wl">Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_United_Kingdom_Trust" title="Carnegie United Kingdom Trust" class="wl">Carnegie United Kingdom Trust</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Foundation_for_the_Advancement_of_Teaching" title="Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching" class="wl">Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Council_for_Ethics_in_International_Affairs" title="Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs" class="wl">Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Museums_of_Pittsburgh" title="Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh" class="wl">Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh</a>, and the <a href="/en/Carnegie_Hero_Fund" title="Carnegie Hero Fund" class="wl">Carnegie Hero Fund</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Political party</th><td class="infobox-data org"><a href="/en/Republican_Party_(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" class="wl">Republican</a><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-encyclopedia-carnegie_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-encyclopedia-carnegie-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Spouse</th><td class="infobox-data"><div style="display:inline;white-space:nowrap;"><div style="display:inline-block;line-height:normal;"><a href="/en/Louise_Whitfield_Carnegie" title="Louise Whitfield Carnegie" class="wl">Louise Whitfield</a></div><span> </span><div style="display:inline-block;"><span>​</span></div><span>(</span><abbr about="#mwt21" typeof="mw:ExpandedAttrs" data-mw="{&quot;attribs&quot;:[[{&quot;txt&quot;:&quot;title&quot;},{&quot;html&quot;:&quot;<span typeof=\&quot;mw:Nowiki\&quot; data-parsoid=\&quot;{}\&quot;>married</span>&quot;}]]}">m.</abbr><span>&nbsp;</span><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip  ">1887</span><span>)</span><wbr><span>​</span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Children</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Margaret_Carnegie_Miller" title="Margaret Carnegie Miller" class="wl">Margaret Carnegie Miller</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Parent(s)</th><td class="infobox-data">William Carnegie<br>Margaret Morrison Carnegie</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Relatives</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Thomas_M._Carnegie" title="Thomas M. Carnegie" class="wl">Thomas M. Carnegie</a> (brother) <a href="/en/George_Lauder_(Scottish_industrialist)" title="George Lauder (Scottish industrialist)" class="mw-redirect wl">George Lauder</a> (first cousin) <a href="/en/George_Lauder_Sr." title="George Lauder Sr." class="wl">George Lauder Sr.</a> (uncle)</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Signature</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><span><a href="/en/File:Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg/150px-Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg.png" decoding="async" data-file-width="585" data-file-height="115" data-file-type="drawing" height="29" width="150" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg/225px-Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg/300px-Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg.png 2x" alt="Andrew_Carnegie_signature.svg"></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>

<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG/170px-Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="2605" data-file-height="3648" data-file-type="bitmap" height="238" width="170" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG/255px-Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG/340px-Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG 2x" alt="Andrew_Carnegie_in_National_Portrait_Gallery_IMG_4441.JPG"></a><figcaption>Carnegie as he appears in the <a href="/en/National_Portrait_Gallery_(United_States)" title="National Portrait Gallery (United States)" class="wl">National Portrait Gallery</a> in Washington, D.C.</figcaption></figure>

<p>Carnegie was born in <a href="/en/Dunfermline" title="Dunfermline" class="wl">Dunfermline</a>, Scotland, and emigrated to Pittsburgh, United States, with his parents in 1848 at age 12. Carnegie started work as a <a href="/en/Telegraphist" title="Telegraphist" class="wl">telegrapher</a>, and by the 1860s had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil <a href="/en/Derrick" title="Derrick" class="wl">derricks</a>. He accumulated further wealth as a bond salesman, raising money for American enterprise in Europe. He built <a href="/en/Pittsburgh" title="Pittsburgh" class="wl">Pittsburgh</a>'s <a href="/en/Carnegie_Steel_Company" title="Carnegie Steel Company" class="wl">Carnegie Steel Company</a>, which he sold to <a href="/en/J._P._Morgan" title="J. P. Morgan" class="wl">J. P. Morgan</a> in 1901 for $303,450,000 (equal to $<span>9,883,973,400</span> today);<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Hawke_1980_9-0"><a href="#cite_note-Hawke_1980-9" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 8;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[8]</span></a></span> it formed the basis of the <a href="/en/U.S._Steel" title="U.S. Steel" class="wl">U.S. Steel Corporation</a>. After selling Carnegie Steel, he surpassed <a href="/en/John_D._Rockefeller" title="John D. Rockefeller" class="wl">John D. Rockefeller</a> as the richest American for the next several years.</p>

<p>Carnegie devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on <a href="/en/Carnegie_library" title="Carnegie library" class="wl">building local libraries</a>, world peace, education, and scientific research. He funded  <a href="/en/Carnegie_Hall" title="Carnegie Hall" class="wl">Carnegie Hall</a> in New York City, the <a href="/en/Peace_Palace" title="Peace Palace" class="wl">Peace Palace</a> in the Netherlands, founded the <a href="/en/Carnegie_Corporation_of_New_York" title="Carnegie Corporation of New York" class="wl">Carnegie Corporation of New York</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Endowment_for_International_Peace" title="Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" class="wl">Carnegie Endowment for International Peace</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Institution_for_Science" title="Carnegie Institution for Science" class="wl">Carnegie Institution for Science</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Trust_for_the_Universities_of_Scotland" title="Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland" class="wl">Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Hero_Fund" title="Carnegie Hero Fund" class="wl">Carnegie Hero Fund</a>, <a href="/en/Carnegie_Mellon_University" title="Carnegie Mellon University" class="wl">Carnegie Mellon University</a>, and the <a href="/en/Carnegie_Museums_of_Pittsburgh" title="Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh" class="wl">Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh</a>, among others.</p>

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Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. His 1889 article proclaiming "The Gospel of Wealth" called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and emigrated to Pittsburgh, United States, with his parents in 1848 at age 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher, and by the 1860s had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks. He accumulated further wealth as a bond salesman, raising money for American enterprise in Europe. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company, which he sold to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $303,450,000 ; it formed the basis of the U.S. Steel Corporation. After selling Carnegie Steel, he surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American for the next several years. 