How did Alfred Nobel’s invention of dynamite help create the Nobel Prizes?

Alfred Nobel’s invention of dynamite and other explosives made him immensely wealthy, providing the fortune he later left in trust to establish the Nobel Prizes.12

However, these inventions also led to a significant turning point in his life. In 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary for Alfred, believing he had died instead of his brother, Ludvig. The headline labeled him "The merchant of death" and criticized him for becoming rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before.12

It is widely believed that this premature obituary deeply affected Nobel, prompting him to establish the prizes to distance himself from this negative reputation and ensure a more positive legacy. While he never publicly explained his motivations, the prizes reflect his lifelong interests in physics, chemistry, physiology, and literature, while his friendship with the pacifist Bertha von Suttner is credited with inspiring the creation of the peace prize.12