The Unlikely Credibility of Steve Wozniak’s Anti-Money Rant

As one of the most successful tech moguls in history, you’d think that Steve Wozniak would be an advocate for accumulating wealth and power. Yet, time and again, he has professed a disdain for wealth and material success, citing concerns about its corrupting influence on values.

Wozniak’s narrative is hard to swallow. A man who spent years at Apple shaping the company into one of the world’s most valuable enterprises now claims that he never wanted to make money? He attributes his decision to cofound Apple to being rejected by HP five times and wanting to prove himself to fellow engineers. This sounds like a convenient excuse for someone who wants to have their cake and eat it too.

Wozniak’s track record tells a different story. He didn’t start Apple out of the blue; he had a clear vision for a personal computer that would change the world. When the company took off, he sold much of his stock, giving some away to employees who missed out on equity and donating sums of money to charity. This selfless act is often cited as evidence of Wozniak’s altruistic nature, but it also suggests that he was aware of the value of his stake all along.

Wozniak’s aversion to wealth is puzzling given his own words about the importance of education and career fulfillment. He reenrolled in college to finish his degree, eventually graduating at age 35 under an alias to avoid attention. He then spent a decade teaching elementary and middle school students about computing – not because it was a financially stable choice, but because it allowed him to pursue his passion.

Wozniak’s background provides some insight into his views on wealth. Growing up in California, he came from a family that valued education above all else. His father, an electrical engineer, instilled in him a love for science and technology. However, this upbringing also led to a certain naivety about the world. Wozniak has often spoken about maintaining one’s values in the face of success, but it’s clear that he never fully understood the complexities of wealth and power.

Wozniak’s message to Gen Z graduates is simple: “Do your best.” But what does that even mean? Is it a call to pursue their passions, or simply to settle for whatever job will get them an apartment? The ambiguity is telling. Wozniak wants to appear as a champion of unconventional thinking and values-driven decision-making, but his own actions suggest that he’s more interested in appearing virtuous than actually living out those principles.

As we look at the legacy of Apple and its cofounders, it’s hard not to see Wozniak’s anti-money stance as a convenient rationalization for his own choices. He could have been a trillionaire today, but instead, he chose to sell his stake and pursue more altruistic endeavors. But let’s be clear: that choice was likely driven by a desire to maintain control over the company, rather than any genuine concern about the corrupting influence of wealth.

Wozniak’s credibility on this issue is undermined by his own actions and words. His anti-money stance may make for a compelling narrative, but it’s ultimately a thinly veiled attempt to appear virtuous while maintaining control over the company he helped create.