Silicon Valley’s history. Yet the Apple co-founder recently revealed that when he helped launch what would become the world’s most valuable company, wealth wasn’t even part of the equation.
Speaking at a commencement ceremony at Grand Valley State University in May 2026, Wozniak told graduates plainly: “When we started Apple, did I want to make money? Start a company? Start an industry? No.” His real motivation, he explained, was far simpler — he wanted fellow engineers to look at his designs and be genuinely amazed.
Rejected Five Times Before Apple Was Born
Before co-founding Apple, Wozniak worked at Hewlett-Packard, a company he believed would define his entire career. While there, he developed a concept for a personal computer — one that everyday people could own and operate themselves. He pitched the idea to HP management five separate times. Each time, the company passed.
Those repeated rejections gradually opened the door to Steve Jobs’ alternative vision: take the idea independent and build something entirely new. Wozniak agreed, and Apple was born in 1976.
A Lifelong Indifference to Wealth
Wozniak’s disregard for money-chasing extends well beyond Apple’s founding story. In his speech, he recalled charging just five cents per page to type college papers for strangers in the middle of the night — not because it paid well, but because he genuinely loved the work.
His message to graduating students echoed the same philosophy: pursue meaningful work, take unconventional paths, and resist the urge to follow the crowd. “Don’t follow the same steps as a million other people,” he urged. “Think: Is there something I can do a little different?” It’s a mindset that, ironically, helped create a $4.5 trillion company.