Las rivalidades en Silicon Valley: así se enfrentaron Bill Gates y Steve Jobs (2024)

Microsoft y Apple

Los dos empresarios tuvieron varios encontronazos durante los años 80. Aun así, la relación cambió mucho y ambos han reconocido el buen trabajo de su 'adversario'.

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Teresa Corral Guerrero NOTICIA 07.12.2020 - 04:30h

Los dirigentes de las grandes compañías usan numerosos trucos para afrontar la gestión de la compañía, incrementar la productividad de los empleados y conseguir los objetivos empresariales. Entre sus quehaceres diarios está la resolución de conflictos dentro de sus extensas plantillas. A menudo, son ellos mismos, los CEOs, quiénes actúan como cortafuegos con los múltiples problemas que surgen entre las distintas secciones dentro de las multinacionales.

Sin embargo, muchos de los grandes líderes empresariales no aplican esos consejos en primera persona. En Silicon Valley, el lugar donde nacen las ideas que cambian el mundo, conviven los más poderosos -y sus empresas- y es también el caldo de cultivo perfecto para que florezcan las rivalidades. Hasta el punto de que más allá de hacerse la competencia en el mercado tecnológico, los CEOs más conocidos han protagonizado guerras dialécticas con declaraciones ofensivas.

Uno de los enfrentamientosmás recordadoses el de Steve Jobs con Bill Gates. El dueño de Apple y el de Microsoft se llevaron bien durante sus inicios en la década de los 70. Pero poco duró la calma. Ya en los 80, Jobs trató de convencer al dueño de Microsoft para que fabricara un software para su nuevo ordenador Macintosh. Gates tildó el encuentro como "una extraña visita de seducción" en el que Steve Jobs declaró que no necesitaba la ayuda de Microsoft pero, a la vez, pretendía que participara.

El punto álgido y palpable del enfrentamiento llegó con la presentación de la primeraversión de Windows, en 1985. "Nos plagiaron por completo, Gates no tiene vergüenza", dijo Jobs más tarde a su biógrafo, Walter Isaacson. Gates no se quedó callado ante estas palabras y le respondió: "Si él cree eso, realmente ha entrado en uno de sus propios campos de distorsión de la realidad". A partir de ese momento, los ataques en público por parte de ambos han sido sucesivos.

"Un ser humano defectuoso"

Steve Jobs llegó a afirmar que "Bill Gates es un hombre poco imaginativo que nunca ha inventado nada. Por eso creo que ahora se siente más cómodo con la filantropía que con la tecnología. Robó descaradamente las ideas de otras personas". Pero fue más allá:"Sería un tío más abierto si se le hubiera caído alguna vez ácido o se hubiera ido a un áshram de joven". Bill Gates tampoco se quedó atrás. El fundador de Microsoft declaró ante el escritor de la biografía de inventor de iPhone que Steve era "una persona rara y un ser humano defectuoso".

Los encontronazos no pararon hasta que Apple lanzóel iPod, el iPhone y el iPad, tres productos que sorprendieron al líder de Microsoft. "Creo que necesitamos un plan para demostrar que, pese a que Jobs nos ha pillado algo desprevenidos de nuevo, podemos actuar rápido para hacer las cosas mejor", llegó a afirmar Gates ante sus empleados. Unos halagos que se hicieron más habituales tras la muerte de Jobs.Respeto a Steve, pudimos trabajar juntos. Nos incitábamos mutuamente, incluso como competidores. Nada de lo que dijo me molesta en absoluto", afirmó.

Incluso Gates reconoció que durante décadas fueronmuy duros los unos con los otros: "Creo que algunas veces llegamos demasiado lejos". Aun así, en antes de su muerte,Steve también tuvo buenas palabras para el hombre más rico del mundo. "Le admiro por la compañía que ha creado y disfruté trabajando con él. Es inteligente y en realidad tiene un buen sentido del humor".

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Las rivalidades en Silicon Valley: así se enfrentaron Bill Gates y Steve Jobs (2024)

FAQs

Was Bill Gates jealous of Steve Jobs? ›

It's a skill that Jobs' chief rival, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, has long expressed jealousy of. More than a decade after Jobs' death, Gates says he has still not reached Jobs' mastery of appearing so natural and unrehearsed onstage.

What did Bill Gates and Steve Jobs think of each other? ›

He said, "He [Jobs] would overwork people, so he wasn't a perfect thing, but Steve was amazing, I learned a lot from him." Gates claimed that Steve Jobs was a very unique person and he that both of them were 'utterly different'. Bill Gates explained why Steve Jobs was so good despite not writing a line of code.

Why did Bill Gates help Steve Jobs? ›

They were losing money and things were not looking good for the company. Such was the love of Jobs for his company that he went to Bill Gates and asked him and Microsoft, their largest competitor, to help them out. This was Gates' chance to get rid of the competition, to take even more market share.

Who was more important Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? ›

Ultimately, both men claim quite a legacy: Jobs built Apple into one of the world's most valuable companies, while Gates is among the richest people on Earth. Matt Weinberger contributed to an earlier version of this story.

What's the IQ of Bill Gates? ›

What is Bill Gates IQ? Bill Gates's IQ is 157 ± 6, according to our mathematical analysis based on SAT score averages. With a correlation coefficient of 0.8 between SAT scores and IQ, this approach provides a trustworthy approximation. What is Einstein IQ?

What was Steve Jobs regret? ›

Steve Jobs Experienced Extreme Regret In The Final Days Before His Death, Saying, 'I Wanted My Kids To Know Me. I Wasn't Always Here For Them, And I Wanted Them To Know Why And To Understand What I Did'

Did Bill Gates go to Steve Jobs' funeral? ›

According to the New York Times, attendees included Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder and Jobs's long-time business rival Bill Gates and singer Joan Baez, who once dated Jobs.

Who came first, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? ›

Early Days:

- Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, both born in 1955, shared a passion for technology from a young age. - In the mid-1970s, Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, while Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.

Was Steve Jobs richer than Bill Gates? ›

Answer and Explanation: Bill Gate's net worth is significantly greater than that of Steve Jobs. The reason behind this is because earlier on, Steve Jobs diluted most of his company's ownership and took on venture capital, while Bill Gates accumulated wealth.

Did Gates save Apple? ›

It was in early August 1997 that Microsoft rescued Apple from the brink with a life line of $150 million. Remember, that was a princely investment in those days. The deal was all the more remarkable because Gates and Jobs did not see eye to eye on most issues.

Did Bill Gates write code? ›

Gates said he personally reviewed and often rewrote every line of code that the company produced in its first five years. As the company grew, he transitioned into a manager role, then an executive.

What was Steve Jobs' IQ? ›

"Steve Jobs likely had an IQ roughly 160 or above. Near the end of 4th grade Jobs was tested. Jobs said: 'I scored at the high school sophom*ore level. ' This means he was a 4th grader performing at the 10th grade level.

Why did Steve Jobs and Bill Gates fall out? ›

Once Windows was released in 1985, Jobs and Gates turned on each other. Jobs said "They just ripped us off completely, because Gates has no shame" and, in response, Gates claimed "If he believes that, he really has entered into one of his own reality distortion fields."

Would Steve Jobs be the richest man? ›

Jobs acquired the shares when he sold the animation studio he co-founded, Pixar, to Disney in 2006. Based on Disney's current value, Jobs' stake would now be would now be worth nearly $22 billion. But in an alternate history, Jobs could have held onto a larger bite of Apple and ended up the richest man in the world.

How did Bill Gates feel when Steve Jobs died? ›

I'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs' death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work. Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.

Were Bill Gates and Steve Jobs ever friends? ›

The founders of Apple and Microsoft, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates respectively, both started their tech careers at around the same time. In fact, they began as friends and collaborators. But as their empires grew bigger and bigger, so did the rift between them⁠—which eventually morphed into a bitter public rivalry.

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