Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is turning 70 on Tuesday. To celebrate, his wife, Janet Hill, is throwing him a giant online party. And we’re all invited.
The festivities begin at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Wozbday.com and Twitch.tv/inspirehouse as a credit to the Jewel singer’s Inspiring Children Foundation.
Virtual visitors include: opera singer Andrea Boccelli, country singers Brad Paisley and Emmylou Harris, actors Ashton Kutcher and William Shatner, comedians Chris Rock, Jay Leno and Drew Carey, magician Penn Jillette, former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal and Jewel, who is the event.
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An “11 Days of Wozdom” special treasure hunt will begin the next day.
Beyond the party, Woz’s (which prefers to be known simply as “Woz”) houses the treasure hunt “with artistic challenges” similar to happiness, creativity, ingenuity and fun, according to the organizers.
Winners get Apple products, signed through Woz and purchased through Woz at retail price. He says he is entitled to a 10% reduction for Apple employees, but chooses not to prove his fame.
Wait a minute. To employees? Didn’t the co-founder, who left Apple temporarily in 1981 after a traumatic plane crash, and then officially in 1985 to do new things?
“I’ve earned a little check from Apple every week since we started the company,” he says USA TODAY amusingly.
He added on his website: “I never left the official list of Apple employees, however, I left the internal direct paintings a few times. After a plane crash, I took a year off to finish my college studies and then sponsored some rock concerts. . I am here. I went back to Apple and painted as an engineer. Finally, I then sought to laugh at first and left to create a universal remote. But I make Apple when I make appearances or give interviews. “
Wherever I go, “I’m Apple and inside,” he says. “I’m doing it out of loyalty.”
It’s been about forty-five years since Woz met Steve Jobs and they introduced Apple Computer in 1975. As you remember, Woz was so fascinated with computers that he tried to give them away, until Jobs advised him otherwise.
“My visions were what computers can do for humanity,” he says. “That’s all I’m interested in. Make the money secondary. I was just looking to be a smart engineer.”
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“When we started Apple the amount of memory that would hold a song would cost a million dollars.”
Computers allowed other young people to touch Woz, whom he distributes loose on his website.
“I’m just giving you advice,” he says. “It just comes from my own experience. This is what I think, and here’s a way to apply it.”
As for the 70 years, “I love it,” he says. “After my 40s, it’s so awesome, and I thought, wow, it’s getting old. Then, on the 50, I just smiled, because after 50 years, no matter what you say or do, you don’t have to be politically correct. People just accept. Then, 60 years ago, my wife Janet threw me a great wonderful party.”
There are also wonderful elements of the 70s, “but it couldn’t be a general wonder, because I’m participating, right?”
Happy birthday Woz!
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