Though Carnegie became extremely wealthy through his steel company, John Rockefeller still overshadowed him with 7 times the money Carnegie had. Carnegie had to find a partner that could be ruthless like Rockefeller so he hired the self-made millionaire Henry Frick. Frick was known in the coal supplying market for getting what he wants. Compared to Carnegie, Frick was the complete opposite of him. Frick had the mercilessness that Carnegie lacked.
Carnegie took a risk by making Frick the chairman of his company giving him what some thought was too much power. But within two years with the help of Frick, Carnegie doubled his profits, ramped up production, and bought out all the other steel competitors in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
By 1890, Carnegie had a net worth of 3.5 billion dollars in today's money. As the new decade neared, Frick established a members-only club on a hill east of Pittsburg named the South Fork Hunting & Fishing Club for the rich. Owning the property, Frick controlled the South Fork Dam which held massive amounts of water uphill from the town of Johnstown. After being repeatly requested to strengthen the dam, Frick refuses until on Memorial Day, 1889, a storm washes away the dam killing 2000 residents and leveling 2 acres of housing. This marked the worst man made disaster until September 11, 2001.
The accident is blamed on the members of the South Fork Hunting & Fishing Club and forever changes Carnegie. He drops out of the club and works towards rebuilding his reputation. Carnegie donates several millions to rebuild Johnstown.