安德鲁·卡耐基、约翰·戴维森·洛克菲勒与康内留斯·范德比尔特都是镀金时代的最有实力的几个企业家。卡耐基出生在一个贫困的苏格兰家庭里,青少年时期的他去了匹兹堡。在1870年,卡耐基建造了自己的第一个高炉,并在1890年主导了快速增长的钢铁工业。他宣扬“财富的福音”,说富人有道义责任去从事大规模的慈善事业。卡耐基放弃了自己的财富,建造了许多像“卡耐基科技研究所(Carnegie Institute of Technology)”(现在属于卡内基梅隆大学)等研究机构,将工匠训练成有素的工程师和科学家。卡耐基建造了上百个公共图书馆和一些主要的研究中心与基础设施。洛克菲勒的标准石油公司成为美国垄断企业,之后于1897年退出石油行业,并在其后40年里通过系统性的慈善捐款方式捐出了自己的资产,特别是在加强教育、医疗和民族关系方面。康内留斯·范德比尔特起初还是个穷困农家男孩,但通过自己的才智和独到的商业见解,在航运与铁路建设等方面取得巨大成就,成为当时世界最富有的人之一。
^ Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987) p. 149, based on Paul Bairoch, "International Industrialization Levels from 1750 to 1980," Journal of European Economic History (1982) v. 11
^Carsten Burhop, "Pharmaceutical Research in Wilhelmine Germany: the Case of E. Merck," Business History Review. Volume: 83. Issue: 3. 2009. pp 475+. in ProQuest
^Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (2004)
^Edward Renehan, Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt (2009)
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