Andrew Grove
Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who dominated the steel industry and gave away most of his fortune.
Andrew "Andy" Stephen Grove was a Hungarian-American businessman and engineer who served as the third CEO of Intel Corporation, transforming it into the world’s largest semiconductor company. Born Gróf András István to a middle-class Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, he survived a near-fatal bout of scarlet fever at age four that left him with partial hearing loss. During the Nazi occupation, he and his mother assumed false identities to avoid deportation, while his father was arrested and tortured in a labor camp. At age 20, during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Grove fled across the border into Austria, penniless and barely speaking English, and emigrated to the United States in 1957. He later anglicized his name. Working summer jobs as a busboy, he met Eva Kastan, an Austrian refugee and waitress; they married in 1958 and had two daughters. Grove earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the City College of New York in 1960 and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1963. After completing his doctorate, he worked at Fairchild Semiconductor, becoming assistant director of development, and wrote a college textbook on semiconductor devices. In 1968, he joined Intel on its incorporation day as its third employee, initially serving as director of engineering. He helped guide the company through the development of early microprocessors, including the 8088 chosen for the IBM PC. Facing Japanese competition in memory chips, Grove made the radical decision to discontinue DRAM production and focus solely on microprocessors. Under his leadership, Intel’s revenue grew from $2,672 in its first year to $20.8 billion by 1997. Time magazine named him Man of the Year in 1997 for driving the growth of microchips. He also authored influential books, including *High Output Management*. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995 and Parkinson’s disease in 2000, he became a contributor to research foundations. He died at home in 2016 at age 79.
- field
- Business, Engineering
- nationality
- Scottish-American
- known_for
- Leading the expansion of the American steel industry, becoming one of the riches
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on November 25, 1835, in a weaver's cottage with only one main room. He immigrated to what is now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his parents in 1848 at age 12. His first job was as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill, working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week for $1.20 per week. In 1849, he became a telegraph messenger boy, and by 1853 he was employed by Thomas A. Scott of the Pennsylvania Railroad as a secretary/telegraph operator. By the 1860s, he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company, which he sold to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $303,450,000, forming the basis of U.S. Steel. After the sale, he surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American of the time.
Reader's Guide
Carnegie's significance lies in his role as a leading philanthropist in the United States, Great Britain, and the British Empire. His 1889 article 'The Gospel of Wealth' called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. He devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on building local libraries, working for world peace, education, and scientific research. He funded Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Peace Palace in The Hague, founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Carnegie Hero Fund, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, among others.
Did You Know?
- Carnegie started work as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill at age 12, earning $1.20 per week.
- He gave away around $350 million (equivalent to $6.9 billion in 2025 dollars) during the last 18 years of his life.
- His 1889 article 'The Gospel of Wealth' called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society and supported progressive taxation.
- Carnegie sold his steel company to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $303,450,000, which formed the basis of U.S. Steel.
- He funded Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Peace Palace in The Hague.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Andrew Grove?
Andrew Grove was a Hungarian-American engineer and businessman best known for becoming the third CEO of Intel and guiding the company to become the dominant force in global semiconductor manufacturing.
What did Andrew Grove actually do at Intel?
He took the helm as Intel's third chief executive and oversaw the company's critical expansion, turning a smaller chip maker into the world's largest semiconductor producer.
Why is Andrew Grove considered a major figure in business history?
He is widely regarded as the executive who powered Intel's growth phase and is frequently cited as one of the defining leaders of Silicon Valley's rise to global prominence.
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