Owner of a unique, innate, and exceptional talent, and blessed with an extraordinary keen eye to anticipate the right move and deliver the masterstroke in business and finance, this man nevertheless stood out as an extraordinary philanthropist. His generosity and empathy toward the less fortunate knew no bounds, given that he himself had been poor and had traveled a path full of effort and challenges to become rich.
The life story of Andrew Carnegie is worthy of a novel. If it had been conceived by the most imaginative novelist and told exactly as it happened, it would still be difficult to believe. A vital journey that follows the well-worn storyline—trite, one might say—of one who, born into extreme poverty, manages to enter that destiny reserved for a select few: becoming a mega-rich industrialist. But in this case, the key lies in the fact that the outcome was not the product of a sudden stroke of luck. His story was rooted in work and effort, coupled with a sovereign talent for business, and set against the backdrop of the free-market system of the 19th-century Americas. These were the keys to an unlimited economic rise. At the same time, instead of hoarding wealth, these elements motivated him to give, and to give more—always with greater precision to extract the highest good from the resource of money.
Some details of his fascinating life journey are well known, but they are worth revisiting: he was born in 1835 and soon emigrated to Pittsburgh, United States. With his family, at the age of twelve, he left behind the poverty of Scotland in pursuit of dreams of prosperity. Just a year later, he was already gaining work experience in his first factory job, where he received a weekly wage of $1.20. Later, he joined the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he forged an early and steadily rising career, in line with his ambitions and personality. Despite having only five years of formal schooling, he eagerly learned every task. Moreover, he had a good character, was respectful and kind, and stood out as a source of motivation for his peers. His burning ambition to grow, to advance, and to succeed, it is said, was contagious.
Young Carnegie proved to be an enthusiastic, shrewd, and brilliant entrepreneur. With his first capital, he decisively entered the path of the fledgling oil production business in America. Soon, as expected, he amassed a notable fortune. Shortly thereafter, with his innate business instinct, he foresaw the expansion of the railroad here and there, and once again took a risk. He plunged headlong into the production of iron rails and bridges. Rails to contribute to the development of a country that dreamed of greatness, to unite the states and transport goods, raw materials, and people from one place to another. His bridges—mighty iron structures—made it possible to safely cross powerful rivers and leave behind wooden constructions forever. But despite all his prosperity and the road already traveled, once again he made a sharp turn—this time toward the steel industry. Beginning in 1870, and after two decades of uninterrupted expansion, this path would ultimately position him as the undisputed leader in a sector that had already become essential to the industry of a booming nation.
The Legacy of a Man Who, with Tenacity, Made Himself
Carnegie himself was convinced that his example could be followed by any person of goodwill. A true autodidact, his driving force, despite being unable to complete his primary education, was found in public libraries. By reading good books, he said, he built himself. For this reason, when his fortune had elevated him to the position of the richest man in the world, he still had much left to do beyond business. For example, writing a book in which he would set down his vision of life, of the concrete utility of money, and of his passion: giving.
It is estimated that, throughout his long philanthropic work, he donated around 350 million dollars. A colossal sum that, in practice, made possible the creation of schools, universities, scholarship systems, and numerous libraries. An indispensable set of institutions that, he knew, many young people like him—ambitious, determined, and persevering, yet of limited means—could take advantage of. But not all of his donations were directed this way. According to experts, one of his greatest contributions was the unstoppable supply of steel at extremely cheap prices, fueling the construction of all kinds of safe structures, both in the United States and around the world.
In 1889, Carnegie officially became a writer. With the publication of The Gospel of Wealth, he enshrined for posterity his memories and teachings regarding the proper use of money—principles that would serve as a guideline for many others who shared his passion for philanthropy. In broad terms, Carnegie argued in his autobiographical pages that the life of a wealthy businessman should revolve around two key principles. The first, the foundation, consists of the pertinent gathering and accumulation of money. The other, and more transcendent, concerns how to redistribute that great wealth effectively and profitably across various noble causes. An indispensable legacy for doing good on a large scale, just as his life had been. But this, he argued, also required two other essential traits: a great capacity for selflessness and courage. Qualities that, in his view, made the path of a life truly “worthwhile.”
