The relationship between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had its ups and downs for many years until the death of the former Apple CEO. Even a betrayal by Microsoft did not change the mutual respect between the two visionaries.
The acquaintance between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates began after the founding years of Apple and Microsoft in the early 1980s and ended in 2011 with the death of Steve Jobs, who still generates great public interest today.
During this period of about 30 years, Gates and Jobs rarely agreed and often criticized each other. Even an alleged betrayal by Microsoft did not change the fact that both men respected each other.
Jobs accuses Gates of betrayal: Apple against Microsoft
What did this betrayal look like? About 40 years ago, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs worked closely together. Microsoft developed software for the then-popular Apple II computer, which at the time was infected by a computer virus that was meant to annoy.
With the release of the Apple Macintosh in 1984 as the first computer with a graphical user interface for everyone, Apple and Microsoft continued their collaboration.
At times, according to Gates, more Microsoft employees, whom he rarely granted a break, worked on a Mac than at Apple itself.
When Microsoft announced its own operating system Windows 1.0 with a graphical user interface in 1985, a major dispute arose between the two visionaries. Steve Jobs saw it as a betrayal of Apple and accused Bill Gates of having stolen the idea.
What did Gates say to the accusations? Bill Gates recognized, like with the internet, that he once had to explain on TV, what potential the graphical interface brought for PCs and did not want to leave the field solely to Apple.
The former Microsoft chief was not very impressed by the accusations. He knew that the idea did not come from Apple itself, but was originally inspired by Jobs through the Xerox PARC research facility.
Well, Steve, I think there is more than one viewpoint on this. I think it’s more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox, and I broke into his house to steal the television and found out that you had already stolen it.
Bill Gates on the alleged idea theft (Source: businessinsider.de)
Gates and Jobs were competitors who respected each other
How was the relationship between the two CEOs after this dispute? Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were initially not on good terms. In public, both criticized each other as individuals, as well as the products that the companies launched.
We will enter a dark computer age for about twenty years [if Microsoft’s Windows operating system wins and Jobs’ interim PC company NeXT loses the battle for the best operating system]
Steve Jobs about the market launch of Windows 1.0 (Source: businessinsider.de)
Secretly, this public criticism spurred them on. Gates admired Jobs’ visual taste. And Jobs, in turn, was impressed by Gates’ intelligence. After the death of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates reflected on their time together and found only praise for Jobs.
I respect Steve; we have to work together. We motivated each other, even as competitors. Nothing [that he said] bothers me.
Bill Gates about Steve Jobs (Source: businessinsider.de)
Through their (joint) work, an unusual relationship developed over the years in a certain way with ups and downs.
Bill Gates did not have to endure criticism only from Steve Jobs. An Apple employee also had something negative to say about an earlier work of Gates: Bill Gates and Microsoft had to secretly program a video game for IBM – Apple said: ‘The most embarrassing game of all time’
