Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth was first published in 1889, and it was a response to the growing wealth gap in the United States. He was concerned that the wealthy elite were becoming too powerful, and that this would lead to social unrest and instability. So, he came up with a plan to redistribute wealth and promote social welfare.
Carnegie's plan was to use his wealth to educate and uplift the masses, rather than just accumulating more riches for himself. He believed that by doing so, he could create a more equitable society, where everyone had access to the same opportunities. It's a pretty optimistic view of human nature, but hey, who doesn't love a good underdog story?
One of the quirkiest facts about Carnegie is that he was a self-made man, who rose from poverty to become one of the wealthiest men in the world. He was a true rags-to-riches story, and his experiences likely influenced his views on wealth and social responsibility. He even sold his company, Carnegie Steel, to J.P. Morgan for a whopping $480 million, which is equivalent to over $14 billion today.