If the name Steve Wozniak does not mean much to you, chances are you have never looked closely at the roots of modern computing. Wozniak, the engineer and cofounder of Apple who helped launch the personal computer revolution, recently celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday. CBS News honored the milestone with a profile by John Blackstone.
Steve Wozniak lives by a remarkably simple philosophy: Happiness equals smiles minus frowns. He embraced this idea when he was just eighteen, and it has guided him ever since. For Woz, life is a matter of creating more joy than sorrow, both in his own experience and in the lives of those around him. From an early age, his path was clear. Success, in his eyes, was never measured by money or fame but by the ability to foster goodness, share laughter, and make people’s lives a little brighter.
Unlike many of his peers who built immense fortunes by holding onto stock, Wozniak chose a very different path. He sold much of his Apple shares early, a decision that reflected his belief that technology and success should be shared rather than guarded. That choice, often misunderstood by those who measure life only in financial terms, revealed something essential about him. Wozniak trusted in the good in others, believing that what he gave away would ripple outward and multiply in ways that money alone could never achieve.
“Wozniak reminds us that true greatness is not defined by how much one holds onto, but by how much one gives away.”
Although his direct technical contributions to Apple largely ended after the Apple II in the early 1980s, his influence has never disappeared. Much of Apple’s identity, including its creativity, playfulness, and sense of possibility, comes directly from Wozniak. His fingerprints remain in the company’s culture, not only through the circuits he designed but also through the values he helped embed in its foundation.
Unlike Steve Jobs, who carefully protected his founder’s stock, Wozniak freely shared his. He gave stock worth four million dollars to his parents, sister, and brother, and another two million dollars to friends. To him, the success of Apple was not a treasure to hoard but a gift to distribute. He recognized the good in others and wanted them to share in the rewards of the journey he helped start.
His generosity reached far beyond family and friends. Time and again, when someone approached him in need, whether a close companion or a stranger, Wozniak opened his heart and his wallet. There are countless stories of him writing checks on the spot, guided not by calculation but by instinct and trust. He saw the good in others and chose to nurture it. That quiet, consistent generosity became as much a part of his legacy as his engineering brilliance.
“For Woz, life has never been about protecting wealth or status. It has always been about sharing joy, helping others, and staying true to himself.”
Wozniak reminds us that greatness is not measured by how much one holds onto, but by how much one is willing to give away. His life is living proof that kindness and generosity outlast wealth. His story is about more than building computers. It is about recognizing the good in others and building a world where success is measured not in dollars but in humanity.
In response to the CBS feature, Wozniak joined an online discussion and left a remark that may well be remembered as a defining reflection of who he is. It was honest, humble, and touched with his familiar humor. That single comment, like so many of his actions, distilled what makes him unique. For Woz, life has never been about protecting wealth or status. It has always been about sharing joy, believing in the good in others, and staying true to himself.
“I gave all my Apple wealth away because wealth and power are not what I live for. I have a lot of fun and happiness. I funded a lot of important museums and arts groups in San Jose, the city of my birth, and they named a street after me for being good. I now speak publicly and have risen to the top. I have no idea how much I have but after speaking for 20 years it might be $10M plus a couple of homes. I never look for any type of tax dodge. I earn money from my labor and pay something like 55% combined tax on it. I am the happiest person ever. Life to me was never about accomplishment, but about Happiness, which is Smiles minus Frowns. I developed these philosophies when I was 18-20 years old and I never sold out.“