In 1888, Nobel was astonished to read his obituary, titled "The Merchant of Death is Dead," in a French newspaper. It was Alfred's brother Ludvig who had died; the obituary was eight years premature. The article disconcerted Nobel and made him apprehensive about how he would be remembered, inspiring him to change his will.
Alfred Nobel was the fourth son of Immanuel and Caroline Nobel. Immanuel was an inventor and engineer who had married Caroline Andrietta Ahlsell in 1827.
In 1888, Ludvig Nobel, the brother of Swedish entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, died. Several newspapers mistook Ludvig for Alfred and so wrote their obituaries about Alfred instead. Alfred, who was only 55 at the time, was shocked to see himself described as “the merchant of death.” He was an inventor and held 355 different patents — the most famous of which was dynamite. He was instrumental in steering his company, Bofors, from being a simple iron and steel producer into one of the biggest arms suppliers in Europe.
Alfred Nobel was not just a scientist and inventor, but also a poet and playwright. His literary pursuits were as passionate as his scientific endeavors. He wrote poetry, drama, and even novels in English, French, and Swedish. His works reflected his intellectual depth and his views on life and society.
Despite his many accomplishments, Nobel led a rather solitary life. He suffered from chronic health issues and often felt isolated. He once wrote, “Numerous friends are to be found only among dogs,” indicating his lack of close human companionship.
Interestingly, Nobel had no formal secondary or tertiary education. Yet, he was personally tutored by renowned teachers of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Literature of his time. This fact is particularly intriguing considering that today the Nobel Prizes are considered the highest awards in these fields.
On 10 December 1896, Alfred Nobel died in his villa in San Remo, Italy, from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. Nobel wrote several wills during his lifetime, with the last one composed over a year before he died, specifying that his fortune be used to create a series of prizes for those who confer the "greatest benefit on mankind" in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets, 31 million SEK (approximately US$186 million or €150 million in 2008), to establish the five Nobel Prizes.
Owing to skepticism surrounding the will, it was not approved by the Storting in Norway until 26 April 1897. The executors of the will, Ragnar Sohlman, and Rudolf Lilljequist, formed the Nobel Foundation to take care of the fortune and organize the awarding of prizes.
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