Andrew Carnegie, age 16, with younger brother Thomas

At the age of 16, Andrew Carnegie was already working hard to build the foundation for what would become an extraordinary career. Born in 1835 in Scotland, Andrew and his family emigrated to the United States in 1848, settling in Pittsburgh. In the early 1850s, at just 16, Andrew began working as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory, earning a modest wage. This was one of his many early jobs that helped him learn the value of hard work and shaped his future.

Around this time, Andrew’s younger brother, Thomas Carnegie, would have been much younger—likely around 10 years old. Although Andrew was often seen as the ambitious, industrious one, Thomas would eventually play a key role in Andrew’s later business ventures, especially in the Carnegie Steel Company. The two brothers worked together, and as Andrew climbed the ranks in the railroad industry, Thomas became a trusted business partner, helping with investments and management.

By age 16, Andrew’s early experiences with hard work laid the groundwork for his success in the railroad industry and, later, in steel manufacturing, making him one of the wealthiest men in the world by the time he was in his 50s. His brother Thomas, although younger, would be a key figure in helping him navigate the growing family business.