Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple Inc. in 1976 alongside Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, shared insights about his motivations and experiences during a recent commencement address at Grand Valley State University. Contrary to the common perception of entrepreneurship as a path to wealth, Wozniak stated that he was driven by a passion for engineering and the desire to create a personal computer that would impress his peers. After being turned down by Hewlett-Packard (HP) five times for his innovative ideas, he embraced the opportunity to start Apple with Jobs. Although Wozniak's initial stake in Apple could have made him a trillionaire, he chose to sell much of his stock and donate shares to early employees and charity, reflecting his belief that wealth could corrupt one's values.

Wozniak also discussed his long-standing commitment to education, having returned to complete his degree at UC Berkeley at age 35. He humorously noted that he graduated under the alias 'Rocky Raccoon Clark' to avoid attention. In addition to his engineering career, he fulfilled his dream of teaching by spending a decade instructing students in computing. His final message to graduates emphasized the importance of pursuing passions and being open to unconventional career paths, stating that it's okay not to have everything figured out from the start.