Henry Phipps Jr.

Founder (1911, as Bessemer Trust) at Bessemer Venture Partners

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Biography

Henry Phipps Jr. was born in 1839 and left school at 14, working as a jeweler's apprentice and then as an office boy and bookkeeper before taking night courses in accounting. He became Andrew Carnegie's business partner and the second-largest shareholder in the Carnegie Steel Company, handling corporate finance for 36 years and holding about 11 percent of the stock at the company's 1901 sale. He founded Phipps Houses in 1905 and established the family office that became Bessemer Trust to manage his assets, the institution from which Bessemer Venture Partners descends. He died in 1930.

Previous Experience

Career Timeline

1839
Born on September 27 in Philadelphia.
1865
Borrowed $800 to invest in Andrew Kloman's railroad equipment business, a partnership that moved into steel mills and drew Andrew Carnegie's attention.
1892
Became a business partner in the Carnegie Steel Company at its founding.
1901
Held roughly 11 percent of Carnegie Steel stock at the company's sale, having served as Carnegie's finance man for 36 years.
1905
Founded Phipps Houses, an affordable housing initiative.
1907
Established the family office that became Bessemer Trust to manage the proceeds of the Carnegie Steel sale.
1930
Died on September 22.

Sources & References

Philanthropy Roundtable - Hall of Fame: Henry Phipps Jr. ↗Wikipedia - Henry Phipps Jr. (dates and biographical basics only) ↗Wikipedia - Bessemer Trust (founding year only) ↗Bessemer Venture Partners - About ↗