Steve Wozniak: Happiness Before Wealth

The Journey of a Tech Icon: From Apple to Philanthropy

Steve Wozniak: One of Apple's legends and a pivotal figure in the history of personal computing, he co-founded the company and designed the Apple II. Despite leaving Apple in the mid-1980s, Wozniak continued to leave his clear mark through his numerous contributions. He helped establish the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), an international non-profit internet rights organization founded in July 1990 to promote civil liberties online. The organization was founded in response to actions taken by law enforcement agencies that were deemed unfamiliar with new forms of online communication, highlighting the need for increased protection of digital civil liberties.

Other contributions: Additionally, Wozniak sponsored the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose and has spent the past four decades engaged in philanthropy, public speaking, and founding a variety of technology companies, including one focused on reducing orbital debris.

His calm demeanor: What distinguishes Steve Wozniak, in addition to his pioneering technical achievements, is his ability to maintain his calm and natural personality despite his immense wealth. Wozniak possesses millions of dollars, but he chose a different path than his tech millionaire contemporaries like Bill Gates or Larry Ellison, who amassed billions of dollars. Wozniak remains a "man of the street" figure, obsessed with old technology, occasionally reading and commenting on specialized forums like Slashdot.

Wozniak's Philosophy: Smiles Minus Frowns

Wozniak's stance: On the occasion of his seventy-fifth birthday, Wozniak appeared on one of these forums, in a thread related to his lawsuit against YouTube over scammers using his image. Wozniak did not directly address the lawsuit but responded to a user's comment who pointed out his decision to sell Apple shares in the 1980s, which would be worth trillions of dollars today. The user wrote: "Smart guy. Great engineer. Bad decision. Happens to us all."

Wozniak's response: Wozniak replied to this comment, saying: "I gave away all my Apple wealth because wealth and power are not what I live for. I have a lot of fun and happiness. I have funded many important museums and art collections in San Jose, my birthplace, and they have named a street after me for being good. I am now speaking publicly and have reached the top. I have no idea how much I own, but after speaking for 20 years, it might be $10 million plus two houses. I never seek any kind of tax evasion. I earn money from my work and pay approximately 55% combined tax on it. I am the happiest person ever. Life for me has never been about achievement, but about happiness, which is smiles minus frowns. I developed these philosophies when I was eighteen and twenty years old and have never changed them."

Comparison with other philosophies: Steve Wozniak's philosophy of "smiles minus frowns" shows a clear difference from other figures in the tech world like Elon Musk, highlighting his life priorities centered on happiness and personal giving rather than accumulating wealth and absolute power.