Not to rain on Walter Isaacson's parade as he sells more copies of this then all biographies combined over the last 10+ years* but when asking Steve about how he didn't care about money that might have been a great time for a professional journalist (head of CNN, Time) to follow up and ask why he cheated Woz out of a few hundred dollars on Breakout (or Kottke, I'm sure there are others).
I haven't read the book yet so he maybe he does and there are some obvious answers (like "that was a mistake and part of why I later rejected my wealth") but that question really should have been asked.
* Mao and Jesus not included. Go crazy with that, Apple haters.
Issacson puts that question directly to a number of people in the book, including Steve Jobs - Jobs claims not to remember having shorted Woz on the bonus. At the time, Jobs likely needed the money for a trip to All One Farm to help prepare for the apple harvest.
I think Woz summarized it best: "Jobs is a complex person and being manipulative is just the darker facet of the traits that make him successful"
Great quote by Woz and I stand corrected. Guess I should read the darn book I bought.
Not to go all Most Interesting Man in the World on this tangent but I don't buy many biographies but when I do it's for Steve Jobs.* I imagine many people are doing the same and I think the meta idea of how many copies it will sell will be interesting (not shockingly high because I mean who reads anymore) but 5+ million by xmas might be possible I'd guess. I also wonder how many ipad owners broke their Kindle lock in and bought it on iTunes.
* Technically I guess I also bought Marcus Allen Super Raider when I was 9 or 10 years old in the mid 80s. Here's hoping this is half as good as Marcus Allen Super Raider was to me when I was 9 or 10.
Regardless of what the book says (I see there are some comments here that it is addressed), have you ever considered that its because he was a 21 year old kid at that point -and shock- people make stupid mistakes throughout their lives? Turns out, people's priorities are allowed to change as they grow and mature.
This seems like such a silly straw man argument and I'm so surprised every time I hear someone make it earnestly. I'm sure Steve stole a cookie when he was 5 years old too, that doesn't mean his whole life was a scheme to acquire cookies.
"and shock- people make stupid mistakes throughout their lives?"
If you had actually read my comment you might have seen where I said maybe the answer was "that was a mistake and part of why I later blah blah" which isn't so different from your shocking idea.
> Turns out, people's priorities are allowed to change as they grow and mature.
I am reading Anthony Kiedes's autobiography in which he states that he ripped off so many people in his past (mainly drug related) and then later went back to right his wrong. So if anything this could have been an avenue and opportunity for Steve to say "ya know what, I did screw Woz over and we agreed on XYZ"
Furthermore, you are simply assuming and drawing ill-informed conclusions. The OP is basically asking that this question be raised, regardless of whether he is insinuating it's truth. It's disingenuous to make conclusions like "it's not about the money" when there are sources that state otherwise.
Just like after a certain point, money doesn't make you happier, but before that point it makes you more happier, I think Steve was at a point in his finances that more money would make him happier. That set point is usually what gives you a comfortable life, transportation, a private space you can call your own and the reasonable ability to buy what you need, and security that you'll always be able to have that. A nice upper middle class life style basically.
I haven't read the book yet so he maybe he does and there are some obvious answers (like "that was a mistake and part of why I later rejected my wealth") but that question really should have been asked.
* Mao and Jesus not included. Go crazy with that, Apple haters.