• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

‘I’m in trouble’ says Woz’s wife

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 16, 2012, 6:33 PM ET

“Someday this little computer,” she heard her husband say, “will be my best friend.”



Wozniak and wife

Steve Wozniak had just pulled his iPhone out of his pocket when he told a group of Apple (AAPL) investors in Los Angeles Friday that the device — or one of its successors — would someday be his closest companion.

Sitting in the audience two rows back, his wife, Janet Hill, whispered under her breath: “I’m in trouble.”

Wozniak spoke — rapidly and with infectious enthusiasm — for about an hour on the last day of the first Apple Investor Summit. Among the revelations (at least to me):

  • That although Steve Jobs’ adoptive family was a great and loving one, “somehow Steve didn’t like his family at all, and couldn’t wait to get away.”
  • The last time he spoke to Jobs was by telephone. “I’m gonna die,” Jobs told him. Wozniak tried to cheer him up, not realizing that his old partner meant it literally.

Wozniak, who clearly prefers his iPhone, suggested that every Apple executive should be forced to own and use a Google (GOOG) Android phone “so they know what they can do.”

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in

A visual illustration of the digital twin of Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ fusion demonstration machine SPARC. In collaboration with Siemens and Nvidia, the digital twin of SPARC was unveiled at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
InnovationFusion
Fusion power nearly ready for prime time as Commonwealth builds first pilot for limitless, clean energy with AI help from Siemens, Nvidia
By Jordan BlumJanuary 7, 2026
15 minutes ago
Personal FinanceLoans
Personal loan APRs on Jan. 7, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJanuary 7, 2026
36 minutes ago
Photo: Sergey Brin
InvestingTech
Tech companies may only get half the profit they need to justify AI investment, Goldman analyst warns
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 7, 2026
36 minutes ago
U.S. President Donald Trump
EconomyVenezuela
Trump’s Venezuela plan just got a whole lot more expensive, as he says the U.S. could give ‘tremendous’ sums to oil companies building there
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 7, 2026
1 hour ago
NewslettersCEO Daily
What CEOs need to know about the new ‘Donroe’ doctrine
By Diane BradyJanuary 7, 2026
1 hour ago
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
The curveball questions CEOs are asking job seekers amid Gen Z’s hiring nightmare: ‘Design a car for a deaf person’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJanuary 7, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Janet Yellen warns the $38 trillion national debt is testing a red line economists have feared for decades
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Blackstone exec says elite Ivy League degrees aren’t good enough—new analysts need to 'work harder' and be nice 
By Ashley LutzJanuary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Experienced software developers assumed AI would save them a chunk of time. But in one experiment, their tasks took 20% longer
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Mark Cuban on the $38 trillion national debt and the absurdity of U.S. healthcare: we wouldn't pay for potato chips like this
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 6, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, January 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJanuary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
18 hours ago