Steve Wozniak Biography & Net Worth

Steve Wozniak Biography & Net Worth

Steve Wozniak is an American technology entrepreneur, electronics engineer, programmer, and philanthropist. He is part of the team that founded apple in 1976. His invention, Apple, eventually became one of the world’s biggest information technology companies by revenue and one of the largest companies in the world by market capitalization. Through their contributions at Apple during the 1970s and 1980s, he and co-founder Steve Jobs are extensively recognized as two well-known pioneers of the personal computer revolution.

Steve Wozniak net worth has come from his very lucrative profession where he has involved in technology for most part of his lifetime. In 1975, he single-handedly started developing the Apple I into the computer that introduced Apple when he and Steve Jobs first began marketing their product following year. He primarily designed the Apple II, brought into public knowledge in 1977, known as one of the first successful mass-produced microcomputers, while Steve Jobs oversaw the improvement of its foam-molded plastic case, and early employee Rod Holt created the switching power supply. With software engineer Jef Raskin, Steve Wozniak had a major influence over the first development of the original Apple Macintosh designs from 1979 to 1981, when Steve Jobs took over the project following Wozniak’s short-lived departure from the Apple company due to a traumatic airplane accident. After permanently leaving Apple in 1985, Steve Wozniak founded CL 9 and developed the first programmable universal remote which he released in 1987. He then pursued various other businesses and philanthropic ventures in the course of his career, focusing mainly on technology in K–12 schools.

As of November 2019, Steve Wozniak has remained a casual employee of Apple since stepping down over three decades ago.

Steve Wozniak’s Early Life

Stephen Gary Wozniak is the son of Francis Jacob “Jerry” Wozniak from Michigan and Margaret Louise Wozniak from Washington State. He was born on August 11 1950 in San Jose, California, United States, and was also raised in this same place. His Father, Jacob Wozniak, worked for Lockheed Corporation as an engineer.

Steve attended Homestead High School in Cupertino, California, graduating in 1968. He has spoken of his surname being polish, and has mentioned that he is of Polish and Ukrainian descent.

In the 1970s, Steve Wozniak’s blue box design got him famous in the phreaking community where he earned the nickname “Berkeley Blue”. He has credited watching the Star Trek film series and attending Star Trek conventions during his younger days as a source of inspiration for starting the Apple Computer, Inc.

Steve Wozniak’s Career

Through a mutual friend, Steve Wozniak met Steve Jobs, who just like him, had a passion for electronics and hated school. Soon, the two men became good friends while working on a mainframe computer at Hewlett-Packard together.

Due to the escalation of the demand for personal computers, microprocessors became a thing. Because Wozniak couldn’t afford to buy a personal computer, he decided to make one, and what eventually followed was the creation of the first generation of ‘Apple Computers’ which he named ‘Apple I’. The ‘Apple I’ was completely designed by Wozniak, right from the circuit board concept and designs to the operating system. His invention became the first home computer system to display a character on a television screen in the history of computing. Steve Jobs then took up the responsibility of marketing the product, while Wozniak was busy making their current ‘Apple’ model better. What made ‘Apple I’ stand out from the rest at that time was the fact that it consisted of an easy-to-achieve video capability.

Going forward, Steve Wozniak teamed up with others to found Wheels of Zeus to create GPS technology that will help an average person find a way to the destination of their choice. Wozniak left the Apple company in 1985 as he decided he did not want anything to do with the management anymore. He then formed a charity organization, where he provided all the money he has earned in order to support various causes of philanthropy.

Awards & Achievements

Steve Wozniak’s brilliance has given the world ‘Apple’ computers. He has been awarded on several occasions for contributing selflessly to the world of electronics and computers. His biggest accomplishment in life is his act of single-handedly creating his own personal computer from scratch when he had no money to buy one for himself. Today, he is regarded as a legend by many. He has been inducted into the prestigious ‘National Inventors Hall of Fame’, and his name will surely live on for generations to come due to all he has accomplished.

Personal Life & Family

Mr. Wozniak has been married four times in his lifetime. His first wedding was with his longtime girlfriend Alice Robertson. After four years of enjoying a happily married life, the couple decided to call it quit when they felt the love had faded. Steve moved on to another marriage, to slalom canoe gold medalist named Candice Clark this time around. IN a marriage that lasted six years, the husband and wife had three children between them.

An affair ensued between Stephen Wozniak and American actress Kathy Griffin briefly before he got married for the third time to Suzanne Mulkern. The couple finally divorced after fourteen long years of marriage, and Wozniak married Janet Hill. They have been married for more than ten years now, and nothing seems to suggest that they’re unhappy with each other.

Steve Wozniak is a Freemason, and also a non-religious person. Even at the age of 70, he enjoys playing video games, and has revealed that his favourite game is ‘Tetris’. He is known to have the condition of face-blindness.

Steve Wozniak Net Worth

Steve is a wealthy man today by all standards. He has been able to generate a substantial amount of wealth by immersing himself deeply in the world of technology and computers. The brilliant Steve Wozniak is credited as the originator of the ‘Apple’ computer, and a wireless GPS software that helps people get to their various destinations with ease. When he could not buy a computer for himself, he decided to build one, and he succeeded in inventing something spectacular, which has evolved into something great today. His invention, Apple, has become one of the world’s biggest information technology companies by revenue and one of the largest companies in the world by market capitalization.

Steve Wozniak net worth is estimated to be $120 million. Despite stepping down from the apple company in 1985 and getting involved in philanthropy where he spends most of his money, Steve still has enough in the bank to depend on. He is also involved in several other ventures as an electronic engineer and technology entrepreneur.