He was a brilliant chemist and engineer who developed and manufactured dynamite, which revolutionized the construction industry and mining operations. He also developed other explosives like ballistite, a smokeless powder used in firearms.
Through his company, Nobel's Explosive Company, he amassed a considerable fortune. This wealth is what allowed him to establish the Nobel Prizes in his will, which would recognize outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace.