Steve Wozniak Says Apple Exists Because HP Rejected His Computer Idea 5 Times

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak says he never started Apple to build a giant business or become rich, even though the company later grew into one of the world’s most valuable tech brands.



During a recent commencement speech at Grand Valley State University, Wozniak reflected on the early days of Apple and explained how repeated rejections by Hewlett-Packard pushed him to found the company with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne in 1976.



Five rejections changed Apple’s future



Before Apple existed, Wozniak worked at HP and expected to spend his career there. He pitched his personal computer idea to the company five different times, but HP rejected it every time. Those rejections eventually convinced him to follow Jobs’ idea of starting their own company.




“When we started Apple, did I want to make money? Start a company? Start an industry? No,” Wozniak said during the speech.




Wozniak explained that he mainly wanted other engineers to admire his computer designs and appreciate the technical creativity behind them. That mindset shaped many of his decisions later in life, including how he handled his Apple stock.



Wozniak never chased wealth



Wozniak once owned a massive stake in Apple, but he gradually sold much of it during the 1980s and even gave shares to early employees who missed out on equity. He also donated money to charity because he believed staying too close to wealth could “corrupt your values.”




“If you do something you love, you don’t need to prove it by charging a huge amount of money,” Wozniak said.




Even after stepping back from Apple in 1985, Wozniak remained on the company payroll and later revealed he still received roughly $50 per week after taxes and savings deductions.



Wozniak also spoke about returning to finish his degree at University of California, Berkeley years after leaving college. He graduated at age 35 under the alias “Rocky Raccoon Clark” to avoid attention and later spent years teaching students about computers.



His advice to graduates stayed practical and simple. Take a job, support yourself, keep learning, and do your best even when life feels uncertain.