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The Documentary: The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie

16/10/2019 GMT

The Gospel of Wealth

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The Gospel of Wealth

Gordon Brown meets billionaires inspired by the great philanthropist Andrew Carnegie

Gordon Brown meets billionaires inspired by the great philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

What should billionaires do with their money? The world’s greatest philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie said they should give it all away.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland and moved to America where he became a steel magnate and the richest man in the world. In his guidebook to philanthropy, The Gospel of Wealth, he challenged people who acquired great wealth to give it back to the community. He also believed the most important cause to support was education.

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was born and still lives near the Scottish town Carnegie comes from. Now he’s the UN Special Envoy on Global Education and asks why today’s billionaire philanthropists aren’t giving away more money and why education is no longer the top priority.

In the hundred years since his death in 1919, Carnegie is perhaps at his most influential now, with initiatives such as the Giving Pledge, founded by Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, seeing Silicon Valley billionaires sign up to give away half their wealth during their lifetimes.

But Andrew Carnegie set the bar high, saying you must give away all of your wealth during your lifetime.
Gordon speaks to philanthropists Ratan Tata in India, Strive Masiyiwa from Zimbabwe, Charles Chen Yidan from China, US billionaire David Rubenstein, and John Wood of Room To Read, to find out how they have been inspired by The Gospel of Wealth. John Sexton of The Global Network University explains why it is hard to persuade billionaires to invest in global education.

(Photo: Andrew Carnegie)

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