Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-American industrialist and the greatest philanthropist in this speech, is known to be the most influential person whose greatest contribution in expanding the American steel industry in 19th century makes him immortal. He donated his most fortune to establishing schools, Libraries and universities across the United States and Europe. He was a self-made man for his economic, cultural as well as intellectual developments. He is often considered to be the second richest man in the history after John D. Rockefeller.
From his young age he would love to listen about famous Scottish heroes such as Rob Roy, William Wallace, and others from his uncle. The inspirational stories, in his words, worked as driving force for his life and inspired him to keep looking for better opportunities.
In 1848, his family immigrated to the United States, where he started working in a bobbin factory as an ordinary factory worker. Young Andrew worked almost all the day, 6 days a week as a bobbin boy to make only $1.20 a week. His father was a weaver, and his mother bound shoes to make a living. He and his parents shared half of a considerably big, ground floor apartment with another poor family. After some time, he became a messenger boy in the Pittsburgh Office of the Ohio Telegraph Company, at $2.50 per week. Within one year he was promoted as an operator for his determination, alertness and hardworking nature. In1853, he took up a job at Pennsylvania Railroad as a secretary/telegraph operator at a salary of $4.00 per week. In less than three years, Carnegie was promoted to the post of superintendent. While working for the railroad, Carnegie got the opportunity to understand the infrastructure market and started making investments. He could envision the greatest prospects in oil, steel and construction industries and made many wise choices that gave him substantial returns on investments.
In 1864, he invested $40,000 at Story Farm in Pennsylvania and within one year his humble investment made him a millionaire. Finding the potential in steel, he invested in iron and subsidiaries. In 1865, after the end of the Civil War, he solely concentrated on the steel industry. Later, he merged Hi steel company with Federal Steel Company and several others and established the U.S. Steel. In 2007, according to List of wealthiest historical figures, based on information from Forbes, his net worth was approximately amounted to $298 billion dollars.
Andrew Carnegie saying for success
- You cannot push any one up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself.
- Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.
- As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do. The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.
- There is little success where there is little laughter.
- People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.
- Every act you have ever performed since the day you were born was performed because you wanted something.
- Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.
- Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.
- Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community.
- The ‘morality of compromise’ sounds contradictory. Compromise is usually a sign of weakness, or an admission of defeat. Strong men don’t compromise, it is said, and principles should never be compromised.
- The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.