Steve Wozniak carries $20,000 cash in his pocket so he can splash out on technology at will. By Jessica Bown
IN 1976, Steve Wozniak took a year off university to earn some money and set up Apple Computer with his friend Steve Jobs.
He didn’t make it back to college until 1981, by which time he was a multimillionaire and so well known he had to graduate under the name Rocky Raccoon Clark.
Born in San Jose, California, Wozniak had an aptitude for electronics from an early age. He attended several colleges before graduating from Berkeley in 1983.
Wozniak returned to Apple after graduation and stayed with the company until 1986, when he left to fulfil his lifelong dream of becoming a high-school teacher. Since then Wozniak has been involved in several electronics ventures and has also written a book, I, Woz, which tells how two cash-strapped twenty- somethings came up with a product that changed the world.
He is also planning a trip to the South Pole with former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, on which they will compare normal and low-emission vehicles.
When not travelling, giving talks and promoting his book, Wozniak, 56, lives alone in Los Gatos, California, with his four dogs. Twice married, he has three children from his second marriage: Jesse, 24, Sara, 22, and Gary, 19.
How much cash do you carry?
I’ve got about $20,000 (£10,670) on me at the moment, which is about the usual. Cash has always appealed to me more as a means of payment than cards.
Do you have any credit cards?
I do. I came to credit cards quite late in life, but I use them quite a lot now, although I never allow any debts to build up and view them as a way to get a temporary, interest-free loan.
My favourite card is my new so-called “black” one from American Express, mainly because I’m doing so much travelling at the moment and the benefits include free companion tickets and access to airport lounges.
The only problem is that it’s made of metal, so it sets off all the airport security machines. I have a bit of fun with that.
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