What Happened Between Steve Jobs And Daniel Kottke? A Friendship Forged In Silicon Valley

After Apple went public in 1980, Steve Jobs decided not to grant Daniel Kottke stock in the new company. Jobs stated that he would give him zero.

This decision was likely a result of the close, but sometimes strained relationship Jobs and Kottke had. The two had been close friends since their days at Reed College, and Kottke was one of Apple’s earliest employees. He had played a significant role in the company’s early success, working as a marketing manager, helping with product design, and even writing the first Apple manual.

Despite their shared history, Jobs felt that Kottke’s contribution to the company wasn’t substantial enough to warrant stock. Jobs also believed that granting stock to early employees who had already left the company would set a bad precedent. Kottke, on the other hand, felt that he deserved some recognition for his work at Apple, especially given the company’s explosive growth following its IPO. This difference in perspective led to a period of tension between the two friends. Though they were still friends, their relationship was never quite the same after this event.