In terms of leadership and career success, Bill Gates is not inferior, even somewhat superior to Steve Jobs. However, Bill Gates is jealous of a “special ability” of Jobs.
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are both the most influential technology leaders of their time. Both are considered to be big rivals of each other in the technology market.
Steve Jobs even considered Bill Gates as his “mortal enemy” when he accused Gates of copying the idea of designing the user interface on Apple’s Macintosh computer for use in Windows.
In terms of leadership and career success, Bill Gates is considered to be superior to Steve Jobs when he turned Microsoft into the world’s leading technology company (Apple only became the world’s largest technology company after Jobs passed away) and achieved a personal fortune many times larger than Steve Jobs.
However, Bill Gates was jealous of a “special ability” of Steve Jobs. The above information was revealed in the book titled “Billionaire, Bookworm, Savior, King: Bill Gates and the Quest to Shape Our World” written by reporter Anupreeta Das of the New York Times.
Accordingly, Anupreeta Das’s book mentioned the Macworld event organized by Apple in Boston in 1997. At this event, Steve Jobs announced Microsoft’s $150 million investment in Apple, an important amount of money that helped Apple overcome the crisis and avoid bankruptcy.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates refused to attend the event, but watched the event live on television at Microsoft’s headquarters.
“In August 1997, when Steve Jobs took the stage at Apple’s Macworld event, Jobs captivated the audience with his powerful, clear presentation. Gates sat thousands of miles away in a Microsoft studio watching his rival,” Anupreeta Das’s book reads.
“Bill Gates observed Jobs’ ease and flexibility in speaking to the audience, his humorous speeches, his well-timed pauses, his interpretations… Gates was filled with admiration and envy.
Gates turned to a colleague and asked, ‘How does he do it?'” the book quotes a former Microsoft employee who overheard Gates’ conversation at the time.
The book suggests that Gates was actually jealous of Steve Jobs’ “special ability,” which was his ability to captivate others and captivate audiences whenever Jobs delivered his speeches.
In an interview earlier this year, Bill Gates also openly admitted that he was not as talented at controlling an audience as Steve Jobs.
“It was always interesting to watch him (Jobs) rehearse a speech, because that was part of his genius. When Steve actually did it, he would make it look like he had thought of the content to say on the spot. I will never be able to reach that level and I was very jealous,” Bill Gates shared.
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were friends, competitors and enemies during Jobs’s lifetime. It was this relationship that contributed to the success of both Microsoft and Apple.
In 2011, upon hearing the news of Steve Jobs’ death, Bill Gates wrote a tribute on his personal blog.
“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago. We have been colleagues, competitors, and friends for more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for generations to come. I was fortunate to have worked with him, and it was an incredible honor. I will miss Steve greatly,” Bill Gates wrote.
