17 Amazing Andrew Carnegie Facts that You Should Know

Let me introduce you to Andrew Carnegie.

He was a Scottish-American industrialist and also philanthropist, who became quite famous in the United States, Great Britain, and even the British Empire😲!

Carnegie even led the expansion of the American steel industry and became one of the richest Americans in history!

So, let us take a look at Andrew Carnegie’s life and achievements.

Interesting Andrew Carnegie Facts 

Andrew Carnegie: Birth of a famous industrialist in a weaver’s cottage

Andrew Carnegie came into this world on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. 

His mom was Margaret Morrison Carnegie 👩 and his dad 👨 was William Carnegie!

He was born in a typical weaver’s cottage, with only one room, which was shared with the neighboring weaver’s family!

The main room served as a dining room, living room, and even bedroom.

Carnegie wrote in his autobiography, published in 1920, “I was born in Dunfermline, in the attic of the small-one-story house.”

Andrew Carnegie was named after his parental grandfather.

Thanks to a philanthropist, Carnegie’s love for literature began

Colonel James Anderson was a local who let working boys, and young apprentices borrow books from his library 📚once a week!

Even after other people started managing it, the service remained free for apprentices only. While an annual subscription of $2 was added for working boys like Carnegie. 

Outraged by the change, Carnegie wrote two letters to the local newspapers pleading his case, and even won!!

Later, Carnegie even said that the incident of Anderson providing books changed his life! 

Carnegie’s first job: It was “bobbin boy”

In the year 1848, Carnegie and his family immigrated to the U.S. 

After immigrating, the Carnegies settled in what was then a town! The town was known as Allegheny City, located in Pennsylvania. 

There, both Carnegie and his father received job offers at the same Scottish-owned cotton mill called Anchor Cotton Mills!

There, 12-year-old Andrew got a job at a cotton factory in Pittsburg to help support his parents, who were struggling!

At that time, he earned only “.20 a week by changing spools of thread!

Andrew and his mother were quite close

I am really surprised to explore this unique fact about Andrew Carnegie! Want to know?

After Carnegie became wealthy, he and his mom Margaret lived together in a suite at the Windsor Hotel in New York!

His mother often attended his business meetings!!

Also, Margaret became quite unhappy when her son, 45-year-old Andrew, started courting Louise Whitfield! 

Thus, Andrew and Louise kept their eventual engagement a secret until after Margaret died, which is more than three years later!

Hence, the couple didn’t marry until April 1887!

Andrew Carnegie worked his way up in the railroad industry

Let me tell you an interesting fact about Carnegie!!

While working as a messenger boy in a telegraph office, Carnegie was noticed by the superintendent at the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. 

That person hired Carnegie to be his personal secretary!

From there, Carnegie’s career started skyrocketing! Later, he claimed the superintendent job for himself! He even invested in the company for Pullman sleeping cars!

The investment was quite successful, but it was a further investment in the steel industry that helped him to be one of the wealthiest individuals 💰in history!!

Carnegie, before the Civil War

Before the Civil War, Carnegie arranged a merger between the companies of Gorge Pullman and Woodruff. 

Pullman was the inventor of the sleeping car for first-class travel!

This endeavor became quite successful and also quite profitable for both Woodruff and Carnegie!

Carnegie didn’t know his real age till he was 73

I am really amazed to learn this interesting secret about Carnegie!

According to the records from his birthplace in Scotland, Carnegie had always thought that he was born in 1837!

When, at the age of 71, he visited the town, he realized 1837 was just the year the record was made in the book.

However, at that time, he was actually listed as a 2-year-old child. Interesting, isn’t it?

Carnegie invested in the Columbia Oil Company

Carnegie was one of the early investors in Venango County’s Columbia Oil Company.

He invested in that oil company in 1864!

In just one year, the firm yielded more than $1 million in cash dividends and petroleum, making Carnegie quite successful!

Carnegie made $480 million: When he sold Carnegie Steel

Carnegie’s company, Carnegie Steel, was bought by banker J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $480 million and folded into the U. S. Steel. 

Carnegie got paid in gold bonds, and he even built a special vault for their protection!

In 2015, According to an estimate of the Carnegie Corporation, at his peak wealth, Carnegie was worth $309 billion💰 (accounting for inflation)!

For comparison, we can check Elon Musk 2022, who is worth about $219 billion; Bill Gates comes in at $129 billion; Jeff Bezos is worth around $171 billion; and Warren Buffet comes in at around $118 billion.

Carnegie’s status as a “workman’s hero” was shattered by the Homestead Massacre

Let me tell you a story about Carnegie!

Carnegie was famous as a person who supported labor causes and the working class. However, it was not the truth!

In 1892, violence broke out at Carnegie’s steel mill when union workers protested wage cuts. Due to Carnegie’s absence, second-in-command Henry Clay Frick brought 300 Pinkerton guards in for protection. 

More than ten men died in the clash between workers and the guards!

Later, workers came to work, making 60 percent less than their previous wages. 

As a result of this incident, Carnegie’s reputation suffered a lot for supporting Frick!

Andrew Carnegie: Meet a big church organ enthusiast

If you are a fan of listening to music, like me, then you will surely love this amazing secret about Carnegie!

One of Carnegie’s major philanthropic efforts included a donation of 7600 of the instruments to churches⛪ across the entire United States!

He even oversaw the procedure of installation of the amazing 8600-pipe organ at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburg in 1895!

Carnegie even had pipe organs in his homes in Scotland and New York!

The Saguaro cactus: It is named after Carnegie

Have you heard about the world-famous saguaro cactus🌵, which can be seen only in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico?

It can live for about 200 years and can grow to be almost 45 feet tall!

However, you will be amazed to know that its scientific name is Carnegiea gigantea, which is an amazing and philanthropic contribution of Carnegie to botany!

Founded in 1902, the Carnegie Institution helped establish the Desert Botanical Laboratory in 1903 in Tucson!

Carnegie believed: “The man who dies rich dies disgraced”

Carnegie published The Gospel of Wealth in 1889, publicly extolling his beliefs that personal wealth must be distributed for community benefit after the needs of your family were taken care of. 

He even wrote in his essay, “The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship.”

He gave away more than $350 million during his lifetime. 

Thus, he proved that he lived by the line of the Gospel of Wealth: “The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”

Carnegie didn’t leave much to his family

In keeping with his wealth philosophy, when Carnegie died, he left his wife, Louise, a very small amount of money, along with their properties in Scotland and Manhattan.

His only child, Margaret, got nothing but a small trust!

So, later, she had to sell the family townhome, as it was too expensive to maintain.

However, the rest of his immense wealth went to his charitable endowments and causes.

Some of you may think that this incident caused some resentment on the part of his heirs. 

However, apparently, all of them agreed to the arrangement prior to Carnegie’s death!

Carnegie libraries: All are still scattered across the U.S.A.

Little friends, did you know this wonderful fact about Andrew Carnegie? No?? Then let me tell you!

One of the philanthropic efforts Carnegie saw while he was alive was offering more than $40 million in grants for constructing public libraries!

Thus, he funded around 1700 libraries across the United States and even funded libraries in Great Britain and Canada!

As of 2014, almost 800 of those libraries were still working!! Really impressive, isn’t it?

Death of Andrew Carnegie

When Carnegie was 84 years old, he died of bronchial pneumonia, on August 11, 1919, in Lenox, Massachusetts. 

He passed away at his Shadow Brook estate. 

After his death, his remaining $30 million was given to charities, foundations, and pensioners!

Carnegie wrote his own epitaph

Have you heard this unique secret about Carnegie? This famous industrialist and billionaire, Andrew Carnegie, wrote his own epitaph⚰️!

He wanted to read “A Man Who Knew How to Enlist in His Services Better Men Than Himself.’

However, his wishes were not upheld!

His gravesite has just a simple Celtic cross with his name, lifespan, and birthplace!!

Summing up

So, little knowledge lovers, now you know a lot about Andrew Carnegie!!

We have tried to collect as much information about him as possible…so that your treasure of knowledge is enhanced!

Hope you liked our efforts!! 😲!