IN TWO YEARS, GIVE ALL YOUR MONEY AWAY!
At the age of 33, Andrew Carnegie had already worked for over 20 years! Starting at the age of 12, Andrew began working to support his family. With each new job, he earned more money. Through a variety of small business ventures and investments, he earned even more money. His hard work and careful investing paid off.
One night Andrew thought about his life. He listed his earnings from his business ventures and investments. He figured out that his holdings would give him an annual income of $50,000 for the rest of his life. This income would allow Andrew and his mother to live quite comfortably.
This should have made Andrew happy, but it didn’t. It left him wanting more from life than money. Perhaps to ease his mind or to share with others someday, Andrew put his thoughts into writing. He sat down and wrote a letter to himself. Andrew wrote, “By the time two years I can arrange all my business as much as to make no effort to increase fortune, but spend surplus each year for the benevolent (kind) purposes.”
Excerpt from AMAZING AMERICANS: ANDREW CARNEGIE, Copyright © 2006, Wright Group/McGraw-Hill.
AUTHOR'S NOTE from AMAZING AMERICANS: ANDREW CARNEGIE, Copyright © 2006, Wright Group/McGraw-Hill.
