Steve Jobs may be a household name, but fewer people are familiar with Steve Wozniak, one of the co-founders of Apple.
Jobs and Wozniak, along with Ronald Wayne, founded the Apple Computer Company (now known simply as Apple) in 1976. Wozniak paused his studies at the University of California at Berkeley to start the company and later returned to finish a degree in electrical engineering.
Wozniak, known affectionately to techies as Woz, was the engineering mastermind to Jobs' creative genius. He designed and built the first Apple computers himself. Some people even call him "the inventor of the personal computer."
Here's a look inside the legendary founder's life, career and family.
Wozniak's work at Apple
Steve Wozniak built out the first versions of Apple's personal computer, starting with the Apple 1 in 1976 and the Apple II the following year. The Apple II would become one of the earliest personal computers available to the general public and a huge commercial success, surprising some competitors.
"The big computer companies said we were going to turn out to be nothing big," Wozniak told Business Insider in a 2022 interview.
Wozniak said Hewlett Packard rejected his idea for a personal computer five times before he left and cofounded Apple.
Why did Steve Wozniak leave Apple?
Wozniak left his job at Apple in 1985 because he wanted a more engineering-focused role where he wasn't also running a fast-growing business. He sold much of his Apple stock upon his departure from the company.
But over three decades later, he is still on the payroll at Apple, reportedly out of loyalty to the company. Wozniak's paycheck nets out to about $50 per week, he told Guy Kawasaki in a podcast interview released in February 2020.
Is Steve Wozniak a billionaire?
Unlike many of his fellow groundbreaking tech contemporaries, including Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Steve Jobs at the time of his death in 2011, Steve Wozniak is not a billionaire.
He is estimated to have around $140 million to his name.
Who is Steve Wozniak's spouse?
Wozniak has been married several times, but has been married to Janet Hill, an Apple executive, since 2008.
What is Steve Wozniak doing now?
In 2020, Wozniak co-founded Efforce, a blockchain-powered company that helps organizations reduce energy consumption using NFTs.
The next year, Wozniak co-founded Privateer, an aerospace company that "develops ride-sharing spacecraft to reduce orbital clutter." Wozniak has said that he wants to "keep space accessible for future generations."
Wozniak was hospitalized in Mexico City during the World Business Forum in November 2023 after suffering a stroke.
Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this report.
FAQs
He also designed his own microcomputer, which eventually became the Apple I. To launch the product, he and his friend Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computer in 1976. The two went on to introduce the Apple II in 1977, starting the personal computing revolution and creating one of the most influential companies in history.
Is Steve Wozniak a billionaire? ›
What is Steve Wozniak's net worth? Most sources, including Business Insider, NDTV, and Money Control, place Wozniak's net worth at $140 million.
What is Wozniak's IQ? ›
Steve Wozniak is reported to have an IQ of 200, though this has not been officially verified. An IQ of 200 would put him in the top 0.003% of the population. An IQ of 132 or higher is required to qualify for Mensa membership. So if Wozniak's reported IQ is accurate, he would exceed the qualifying score.
Does Steve Wozniak still own part of Apple? ›
He sold much of his Apple stock upon his departure from the company. But over three decades later, he is still on the payroll at Apple, reportedly out of loyalty to the company. Wozniak's paycheck nets out to about $50 per week, he told Guy Kawasaki in a podcast interview released in February 2020.
How important was Steve Wozniak? ›
Steve Wozniak is an American pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s, and the mind behind Apple's first computer. As an inventor, electronics engineer, and computer programmer, Wozniak invented the Apple I computer in partnership with Steve Jobs.
Who helped Steve Jobs create Apple? ›
was founded on April 1, 1976, by college dropouts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who brought to the new company a vision of changing the way people viewed computers. Jobs and Wozniak wanted to make computers small enough for people to have them in their homes or offices.
What was Steve Jobs' IQ? ›
"Steve Jobs likely had an IQ roughly 160 or above. Near the end of 4th grade Jobs was tested. Jobs said: 'I scored at the high school sophom*ore level. ' This means he was a 4th grader performing at the 10th grade level.
Who was richer Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? ›
Answer and Explanation: Bill Gate's net worth is significantly greater than that of Steve Jobs. The reason behind this is because earlier on, Steve Jobs diluted most of his company's ownership and took on venture capital, while Bill Gates accumulated wealth.
Why is Steve Wozniak not CEO of Apple? ›
However, in 1985, Steve Wozniak left his day-to-day role at Apple, feeling that the company's direction did not align with his vision for personal computing. He embarked on new ventures, including founding CL 9, which developed the first universal remote control.
Who has a 103 IQ? ›
The IQ scores of most people are represented in the middle of the bell, between 85 and 115. Overall, about 98 percent of people have a score below 130. If you're among the 2 percent with a higher score, you're an outlier.
In summary, Elon Musk is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. He is the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and several other companies. He is also known for his high IQ. Estimates of Musk's IQ range from 155 to 160.
Who has 257 IQ? ›
After graduation, Buterin enrolled into the University of Waterloo which he eventually dropped out after a year of computer science and landed the Thiel Fellowship. He used his time to co-found and work on several startups in cryptocurrency and digital finance. He's also well-known for having an IQ level of 257.
Who owns Apple now? ›
Apple (AAPL) Ownership Overview
The ownership structure of Apple (AAPL) stock is a mix of institutional, retail and individual investors. Approximately 48.69% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 0.11% is owned by Insiders and 51.20% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.
Is Wozniak retired? ›
As of June 2024, Wozniak has remained an employee of Apple in a ceremonial capacity since stepping down in 1985.
What phone does Steve Wozniak use? ›
But Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs in 1976, does not seem impressed by the iPhone 13 and still uses the iPhone 8. “I'd rather wait and watch that one. I'm happy with my iPhone 8 — which is the same as the iPhone 7, which is the same as the iPhone 6, to me,” he said.
Why didn't Steve Wozniak become CEO of Apple? ›
On the other hand, Wozniak said he himself wanted nothing to do with fame or money and was perfectly content being a computer engineer designing calculator chips at Hewlett-Packard for life, where he worked before Apple. “I loved it, and I didn't want to ever be corrupted by big money,” he said.
Why did Steve Jobs leave Apple? ›
In 1985, Jobs departed Apple after a long power struggle with the company's board and its then-CEO, John Sculley. That same year, Jobs took some Apple employees with him to found NeXT, a computer platform development company that specialized in computers for higher-education and business markets, serving as its CEO.
Did Steve Jobs create the first computer? ›
Woz created it, Jobs marketed it. But the Apple II wasn't the first PC. And the Apple I obviously came first. The Apple II was perhaps the first recognisable complete PC though the TRS-80 and the Commodore PET also came out in '77 the II beat them to the market.
How did Steve Jobs' invention impact the world? ›
The creations masterminded by Steve Jobs have generated a digital lifestyle that was inconceivable when he started out in his parents' garage. He has put the virtual world at our fingertips, made the unbelievable affordable and revolutionized film, music and the way we communicate.
