Apple’s Steve Wozniak on Elon Musk: ‘Sometimes you get so rich, it goes to your head’

Photo : Instagram / @cnbc

Steve Wozniak, one of the co-founders of Apple, spoke about the growing influence of tech leaders like Elon Musk in politics. He made these comments during a talk at the Talent Arena developers fair in Barcelona on March 4. Wozniak shared his thoughts on how having too much money and power can change a person’s behavior.

Stay informed with the latest news. Follow DXB News Network on WhatsApp Channel  

He said that sometimes when people get very rich and are at the top of big companies, they start to believe they know everything. He pointed to Elon Musk and said, "Elon Musk, I don’t know what got into his head… Sometimes you get so rich at these big companies, and you’re on top — it goes to your head, and you’re the most incredible person in the world and the brightest and you’re going to dictate what others will do." Wozniak’s comment shows his concern that power and wealth can make people act in ways that may not be helpful.

Wozniak also talked about the skills needed in business compared to politics. He explained that running a business often requires finding a common agreement between people, while politics needs different skills. “When you run a business, you look for a consensus and a sharing… If half your employees feel one way and half the other way, you negotiate, you compromise,” he said. He said that running a government is very different and that not everyone who runs a business should try to run a country.

Wozniak expressed worry that tech leaders like Musk are getting more involved in politics. He said that this is a new trend. In the past, tech companies would hire people to influence politics, but now the people running the companies themselves are stepping into political roles. Musk, for example, has been given an important role in the U.S. government. Wozniak feels that this is a concerning change.

Wozniak also talked about how technology has changed since the early days of Apple. He said that in the past, people owned their own computers and their work was safe. But now, with cloud storage and online services, companies control the data, and people have to trust them. "The cloud is a problem as before you were able to protect your work, but now you need to trust companies with your creations," he said.

Wozniak also mentioned how new technology like artificial intelligence (AI) can be useful but also has limits. He said that while AI can give ideas and suggest ways to solve problems, it doesn’t have the emotions that humans do. "I trust the I, but not the A," he said. He warned that AI can sometimes trick people into believing things that aren’t true or making wrong choices.

Wozniak’s thoughts bring attention to the problems that come with the rise of big tech companies and their influence on politics and personal lives. His words remind people to think carefully about how much power these companies have and how we trust the technology we use every day.