10 Wealthiest Historical Figures That Ever Lived
4. Andrew Carnegie - £182.22 Billion
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-born American industrialist who became the model for philanthropy in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born in 1835, his family emigrated to the United States of America in 1848 when he was 13 years old. Carnegie made the bulk of his fortune through his steel companies - primarily U.S Steel, the first company in history with a $1 billion market cap - which provided the raw materials for a booming construction period in American history.
Carnegie wrote an article named The Gospel of Wealth which called on the newly rich to be generous and philanthropic with their newfound wealth. His beliefs and actions regarding charity are considered the blueprint for modern philanthropy, which is a worthy endeavour for a man who had a net worth of £182.22 billion.