Carnegie became the richest man in the world in March 1901 when he sold his steel empire for $440 million to J P Morgan. He was celebrated for building over 2600 Carnegie Libraries, unquestionably becoming one of the world’s greatest philanthropists. Yet little is known of his remarkable life story, a true visionary figure, a prolific writer, an arch anti-imperialist in the turbulent politics of late 19th century America and for 30 years a leading advocate of peace through arbitration. The talk examines his life in the context of America in the period 1870 to 1910