Steve Wozniak: Apple's Co-Founder and His Four Marriages
The man who built the first Apple computer married four times, giving away Apple stock to his first wife that became worth a fortune.
Key Facts
What Happened
Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Jobs in 1976, designing the Apple I and Apple II that launched the personal computer revolution. While Jobs became the face of Apple, Wozniak was the engineering genius behind the hardware. His personal life, however, was as eventful as his professional one. Wozniak married four times, each marriage reflecting a different chapter of his life in Silicon Valley.
His first wife, Alice Robertson, contacted Wozniak through his Dial-a-Joke phone line, a hobby that reflected his playful personality. They married on January 11, 1976, the same year Apple was incorporated. When they divorced four years later, Alice received one-third of Wozniak's Apple stock. Given that Apple went public in December 1980 at a valuation of $1.8 billion, that stock quickly became an enormous fortune. Wozniak's second marriage to Olympic canoeist Candice Clark in 1981 produced three children before ending in 1987.
Wozniak's third marriage to childhood friend Suzanne Mulkern, an attorney, lasted from 1990 to 2004, making it his longest. His fourth and current marriage to Janet Hill, a former Apple employee and longtime friend, took place in 2008 in a secret ceremony with no friends or family present. Each divorce chipped away at Wozniak's net worth, which, despite his role in creating one of the world's most valuable companies, settled at a relatively modest $100 million.
Wozniak's story illustrates a common pattern among tech founders: the wealth created by groundbreaking innovation can be steadily eroded through multiple divorces, particularly when early stock distributions lock in enormous payouts. The stock that Alice Robertson received in 1980 would be worth billions today. Wozniak's relatively modest net worth compared to other Apple insiders is due in part to his generous divorces and his tendency to give away Apple stock to employees and friends.
Legal Breakdown: Serial Divorces and the Erosion of Tech Fortunes
Pre-IPO Stock in Divorce Settlements
Wozniak's first divorce occurred just before Apple's IPO, meaning Alice Robertson received pre-IPO stock that subsequently appreciated enormously. In Silicon Valley divorces, the timing of a split relative to a company's public offering can mean the difference between millions and billions. Attorneys in tech divorces must carefully consider the trajectory of unvested stock, options, and pre-IPO shares.
Serial Divorce and Cumulative Wealth Loss
Each of Wozniak's four marriages required the division of remaining assets. In California's community property system, this creates a compounding effect: the first divorce takes a share of the whole, the second takes a share of what remains, and so on. Over four marriages, the cumulative impact on wealth can be dramatic, particularly when early stock grants appreciate significantly after being distributed.
Lessons for Tech Founders
Wozniak's experience is a cautionary tale for technology entrepreneurs. Without prenuptial agreements and structured asset protection, the wealth generated by a transformative company can be distributed across multiple former spouses. Modern tech founders are increasingly advised to establish prenuptial agreements, irrevocable trusts, and clear separation of pre-marital and marital assets before marriage.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Pre-IPO stock transferred in divorce settlements can appreciate enormously, making early-stage divorces particularly consequential for tech founders.
- →Serial divorces compound wealth loss under community property rules, as each subsequent marriage starts with a reduced asset base.
- →California's community property law treats all stock earned during marriage as joint property, regardless of which spouse performed the work.
- →Tech founders should consider prenuptial agreements and asset protection trusts before each marriage, especially those involving pre-IPO equity.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.