5 Times Steve Jobs Talked About Money and Absolutely Nailed It

As one of the most prolific CEOs in modern history, Steve Jobs is a giant in the tech world. Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, is primarily credited with many of Apple’s greatest products, including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. 

While many people contributed to Apple’s products, which helped make it the world’s most profitable company, Jobs was larger than life. When he talked, even about non-Apple topics like money, everyone listened. 

My Favorite Things

Steve Jobs once said “My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” 

Jobs valued time above all else and believed everyone should be intentional with their time, which is still relevant today. No matter how much money we have, you can’t buy yourself extra time with your family or friends or doing the things you love.

Rest assured, Steve Jobs didn’t make decisions based on his wealth, he did based on how he wanted to live and spend his time on Earth. Wealth management expert Tom Corley once indicated that Jobs valued experiences over material possessions, but these experiences allowed Jobs to enjoy buying a home. 

Didn’t Care About Money

Among Steve Jobs’ most notable money quotes: “Bottom line is, I didn’t return to Apple to make a fortune. I’ve been fortunate in my life and already have one. When I was 25, my net worth was $100 million. I decided then that I wouldn’t let it ruin my life. There’s no way you could ever spend it all, and I don’t view wealth as something that validates my intelligence.” 

Steve Jobs was famously not materialistic. He never viewed money as more than a means to eat and sleep. Even though Jobs was famous for driving a Mercedes-Benz, he frequently expressed his belief that money was unnecessary. More importantly, he never viewed it as equal to life satisfaction and living your best life. 

The Richest Man

When Steve Jobs said “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something, that’s what matters to me.” In context, Jobs was talking about his work at Apple, but it’s yet another indicator that money wasn’t his most important goal. 

Any Steve Jobs quote revolves around money, it was simply a means to do more of the work he loved. Jobs once famously said that he wanted to put “a ding in the universe,” and money was a means of doing that. 

There is no question that this quote about being the wealthiest man in the cemetery is still relevant. You can’t take wealth with you, so you must ensure you are enjoying it. Whether that means a bigger house, treating family to vacations, or just living your best life, this is precisely what Jobs would have wanted people to remember. 

Money Is Enabling

In a decades-old PBS video interview, Steve Jobs explicitly stated, “I never did it for the money,” and said, “I think money is a wonderful thing because it enables you to do things. It enables you to invest in ideas without a short-term payback.” 

Once again, we’re looking at Steve Jobs as someone who viewed money as a means to accomplish things, not as a means to purchase a bigger boat, a more expensive car, or the biggest house on the street. 

In the latter half of the video, Jobs talks about the most essential things in his life, which were Apple, the products it was making, and the people making those products. This is a reminder that modern financial decision making shouldn’t be influenced just by material purchases, but to do the things you love. 

Jobs Main Reaction 

When Steve Jobs said “You know, my main reaction to this money thing is that it’s humorous, all the attention to it, because it’s hardly the most insightful or valuable thing that’s happened to me.” 

Ultimately, the biggest lesson among all of Jobs’ quotes about money is that he valued his accomplishments far more than any amount of money. When Jobs died, he was a multi-billionaire, but in his biography, all he talks about is Apple and the company’s successes and failures. 

Financial advisor Robert Pagliarini once observed that Jobs’ focus on his passions over his profits led to greater financial success. This should be a lesson to everyone, if you do what you love, happiness and economic success can be the reward.

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