The Captains of Industry The Industrial Age was full of economic billionaires who achieved their status through innovation and the use of new technologies. Most people say that these industrial giants were monsters who used low-income labor as slaves to achieve high status, but the truth is that they are ignorant. The industrial captains during the lifetimes of Carnegie and Rockefeller were the beginning, or spark of innovation that led to a series of new inventions that transformed our society into one based less on friendly ties with family and friends but into one socially based on wealth and the use of technology. Carnegie, Rockefeller and other industrial giants in their day were captains of society who helped our economy through their innovation, success and donations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Creating a new product that goes national and makes big money is not easy, demonstrated simply by the statistic that 8 out of 10 companies fail in the first 5 years. Rockefeller managed to create a small oil business and expand it to become the largest oil shipper in the country. He used the country's natural resources and necessary imports to create what the country needed, which ended up helping the government and the American people (johndrockefeller.org). Carnegie began as a poor immigrant and worked his way up to become one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of his time. He seized opportunities and after the Civil War started his own steel industry, something no one had thought of. Ultimately, the innovation was born after the Civil War and has been passed down from generation to generation to the present day. Both Rockefeller and Carnegie achieved great success, not only for their time but also for the future. Carnegie, having made a lot of money, settled down and basically did his philosophy. He created the idea that successful businessmen should play important roles as philanthropists. He wrote a book called The Gospel of Wealth that inspired Bill Gates to donate billions to charity, just as Carnegie himself did. Rockefeller became the first billionaire, which is obviously a direct measure of his success (biography.com). He created an oil business that would later spark the interest of several entrepreneurs to start their own oil business and generate large profits. Innovation and success may be the key to profits, but do they still follow modern morals and customs? One of the most appreciated actions is donating, especially large amounts of money. Both Rockefeller and Carnegie were strong advocates of “dying penniless,” so they donated a lot of money. They followed the ideal of being philanthropists, which means that they seek the well-being of others especially by donating a lot of money. Rockefeller ended up donating about $550 million. Carnegie donated over $56 million just to create libraries that he believed were important to society, which again follow the modern social moral of being a good person. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom Essay Carnegie, Rockefeller, and other industrial giants during their time were captains of society who helped our economy through their innovation, success, and donations. The main arguments that both Carnegie and Rockefeller are irrelevant because low-paid work would.