Daniel Kottke Net Worth

Overview

Daniel Kottke is an American businessman and computer engineer, best known for being a college friend of Steve Jobs and one of the first employees of Apple Inc. He met Jobs at Reed College in 1972, and they traveled together to India. In 1976, Jobs hired him to assemble hobbyist computer projects, leading to Kottke becoming a part-time employee at the newly founded Apple Computer. He debugged the Apple II family, prototyped the Apple III and Macintosh. Steve Wozniak assigned Kottke some of his own stock after Apple’s IPO. Kottke’s signature is embossed inside the case of early production Macintosh computers. He also produces and hosts the “The Next Step” Public-access television cable TV interview show in Silicon Valley which focuses on high-technology, spiritualism, holistic endeavors, the internet and social networking.

Apple Inc.

Early Employee

What Is Daniel Kottke Net Worth’ Net Worth?

Daniel Kottke, an early Apple employee and friend of Steve Jobs, has an estimated net worth of $1 million. Born in Bronxville, New York, in April 1954, Kottke’s connection to Apple began through his friendship with Jobs at Reed College in 1972. This association led him to become one of Apple’s first employees.

Early Life and Education

Daniel Kottke was born on April 4, 1954, in Bronxville, New York. In 1972, Kottke’s path intertwined with Steve Jobs at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Their shared interests in Eastern philosophies and countercultural ideas created a strong bond. In 1974, Kottke and Jobs embarked on a journey to India, seeking spiritual enlightenment at the Neem Karoli Baba ashram, profoundly influencing their perspectives. After returning from India, Kottke transferred to Columbia University in 1975, majoring in literature and music. Despite this shift, his connection with Jobs remained, and he collaborated on various projects during his college years. He graduated from Columbia College in 1977.

Apple Career and Stock

During his junior year at Columbia in 1976, Kottke joined Jobs in assembling and testing Apple I computer boards in the Jobs family garage. In 1977, Kottke officially joined Apple as full-time employee #12. During his time at Apple, Kottke contributed to debugging the Apple II family, prototyping the Apple III and Macintosh, and even worked on the design of the Macintosh keyboard. His signature is embossed inside the case of early production Macintosh computers. Kottke stated in an interview that both he and Jobs’s sister Patty were the first part-time employees of Apple.

Despite his contributions, Steve Jobs refused to grant Kottke stock in the new company. However, co-founder Steve Wozniak gifted him some of his own shares. In 1985, Steve Wozniak gifted Kottke some shares, possibly worth $50,000 at the time, according to Kottke. One report suggests that Daniel Kottke received 1,000 shares in total. If Kottke had retained all of his shares, they would be worth approximately $3.4 million today, considering stock splits and dividends. However, it remains unclear whether he still holds all of the shares.

Post-Apple Career and Investments

Kottke left Apple in 1984 and ventured into consulting. He bought a three-bedroom house and converted it into a seven-bedroom house, renting out four rooms to cover his mortgage. He invested in a real estate project that went south and sold a property to buyers who owed him $2 million, but the property burned down in a wildfire before the money was exchanged.

Portrayals in Media

Daniel Kottke’s experiences have been depicted in several films, including “Pirates of Silicon Valley” (1999) where he was portrayed by Marcus Giamatti, and “Jobs” (2013) where Lukas Haas played him. He also appeared in the 2015 documentary “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine.”