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Podcast: The Kitchen Sisters Present
Episode:

The Giving Game: Andrew Carnegie and the Evils of Wealth
Category: Society & Culture
Duration: 00:34:44
Publish Date: 2026-01-20 14:00:00
Description:

The Gilded Age was a time of unparalleled wealth and prosperity in America—but it was also a time of staggering inequality, corruption, and unchecked power. Among its richest figures was Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate who built his fortune on the backs of low-paid workers, only to give it away—earning him the nickname the Godfather of American Philanthropy. He didn’t just fund libraries and universities, he championed a philosophy: that it was the duty of the ultra-wealthy to serve the public good.

But, as it turns out, even philanthropy is a form of power. So, what exactly have wealthy philanthropists done with their power? We explore that question at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, inside Carnegie’s former mansion. There, a board game called Philanthropy invites players to reimagine the connection between money and power—not by amassing wealth, but by giving it away.

Produced by The Smithsonian's Podcast — Sidedoor.  With host and Senior Producer Lizzie Peabody. Featuring: 

  • Christina de León, Associate Curator of Latino Design at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  • Tommy Mishima, artist and co-creator (with Liam Lee) of the installation Game Room in Cooper Hewitt's triennial Making Home
  • David Nasaw, author of the biography Andrew Carnegie

The Kitchen Sisters Present is produced by The Kitchen Sisters (Nikki Silva & Davia Nelson) with Nathan Dalton and Brandi Howell. Part of the Radiotopia network from PRX.

 
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