Apple's Steve Wozniak Says He Co-Founded the Tech Giant After 5 Rejections from HP—Not to 'Make Money.' For Years, His Paycheck Was Just $50
Together with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, Steve Wozniak set Apple on a path toward changing the world in 1976, when the trio officially founded the computer company.
TL;DR
- Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne in 1976.
- He sold his stake in Apple early, stating he did not want to be near money as it could corrupt values.
- Wozniak was initially driven by a desire to bring his personal computer idea to life and gain admiration from fellow engineers, not to make money.
- He pitched his personal computer idea to Hewlett-Packard five times without success before deciding to strike out on his own with Jobs.
- Wozniak gradually sold much of his stock in the 1980s, giving some shares to employees and money to charity.
- He worked for Hewlett-Packard and was later offered a job there, but instead pursued his own venture.
- Wozniak had a long-standing skepticism toward wealth accumulation, having worked for pennies typing term papers and tutoring students.
- He remained on Apple's payroll even after stepping back from full-time involvement in 1985, receiving a small weekly paycheck.
- Wozniak prioritized education and eventually completed his degree at UC Berkeley under an alias.
- He also fulfilled a dream of teaching, spending a decade teaching computing to elementary and middle school students.
- Wozniak advises graduates to take unconventional paths and not be afraid to pursue different opportunities.