---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never left the company. I keep a…"
description: "\"I have never left the company. I keep a tiny residual salary to this day because that's where my loyalty should be forever. I want to be an \"employee\" ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg"
---

#  I have never left the company. I keep a tiny residual…

![“I have never left the company. I keep a tiny residual salary to this day because that's where my loyalty should be forever. I want to be an &quot;employee&quot; on the company data base. I won't engineer, I'd rather be basically retired, due to my family. (talking about his relationship with Apple Inc)” quote by Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg)

> “I have never left the company. I keep a tiny residual salary to this day because that's where my loyalty should be forever. I want to be an "employee" on the company data base. I won't engineer, I'd rather be basically retired, due to my family. (talking about his relationship with Apple Inc)”

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He chooses loyalty and a symbolic role over active work, valuing identity with the company.

**In simple terms:** He prefers staying linked to Apple rather than working elsewhere.

Key Takeaway

Maintain meaningful ties while embracing personal priorities.

Themes

loyalty identity career retirement family

Mood

thoughtful nostalgic

Type

reflective personal

When to use this quote

- career planning
- family decisions
- retirement counseling
- company alumni networks
- personal branding

Key Concepts

personal fulfillment legacy work-life balance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does symbolic affiliation affect personal growth?
- What balance between loyalty and new opportunities?

A Different Perspective

May limit professional growth and skill development.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Employee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employee/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/)

## Related quotes

> [It was only after I'd had some injuries that I basically retired from the performing side of show business and then began working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-smith/it-was-only-after-i-d-had-some-injuries-that-i-basically-retired-from/)

[Phyllis Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-smith/)

> [Every employee in a company depends on the C.E.O. to make fast, high-quality decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/every-employee-in-a-company-depends-on-the-c-e-o-to-make-fast-high/)

[Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/)

> [When you work for a company you always, well I know, I try to give advice to young kids and other peers that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redman/when-you-work-for-a-company-you-always-well-i-know-i-try-to-give/)

[Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redman/)

> [At the end of the day, you can decide whether you want to be an employee with a great attendance record, getting promoted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-can-decide-whether-you-want-to-be-an/)

[Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/)

> [ Stealing things is everybody's problem. We \[Apple Inc.\] own a lot of intellectual property, and we don't like when people steal it. So people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/stealing-things-is-everybody-s-problem-we-apple-inc-own-a-lot-of/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Apple introduces CarPlay for iPhone use in vehicles The CarPlay technology will be available in vehicles as early as this year. Photo: Bloomberg By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/apple-introduces-carplay-for-iphone-use-in-vehicles-the-carplay/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ I'd say we \[Apple Inc.\] are the most creative of the technology companies and definitely the most artist-friendly. Almost everyone in the music business… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-d-say-we-apple-inc-are-the-most-creative-of-the-technology/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Inc, which set the computing world on its ear with the Macintosh in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/steve-wozniak-and-steve-jobs-founded-apple-inc-which-set-the/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/here-s-to-the-crazy-ones-the-misfits-the-rebels-the-troublemakers-the-2/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [I am the next C.E.O of Apple Inc…according to the will of Steven Paul Jobs…!!!!! ;-)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-the-next-c-e-o-of-apple-inc-according-to-the-will-of-steven-paul/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There were taken apples, and ... closed up in wax. ... After a month's space, the apple inclosed in was was as green and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-were-taken-apples-and-closed-up-in-wax-after-a-month-s-space/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [Interesting - I use a Mac to help me design the next Cray.(when he was told that Apple Inc. had recently bought a Cray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/interesting-i-use-a-mac-to-help-me-design-the-next-cray-when-he-was/)

[Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/)

## More by Steve Wozniak

> [Being an electronic genius was a reputation I had, maybe being even into math and science almost exclusively and not wanting to be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/being-an-electronic-genius-was-a-reputation-i-had-maybe-being-even/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Basically, from the time Steve left Apple to the time Steve came back, he really became an outstanding business manager, able to...trust people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/basically-from-the-time-steve-left-apple-to-the-time-steve-came-back/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [I want to feel that I own things,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-want-to-feel-that-i-own-things/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [After the Apple II was introduced, then came the Commodore and the Tandy TRS-80.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/after-the-apple-ii-was-introduced-then-came-the-commodore-and-the/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [There's nothing that would keep Apple out of the Android market as a secondary phone market,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/there-s-nothing-that-would-keep-apple-out-of-the-android-market-as-a/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [I'm also a fan with sticking with the most standard software that millions of other users also use, because you get the benefit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-m-also-a-fan-with-sticking-with-the-most-standard-software-that/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Imagination is something you do alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/imagination-is-something-you-do-alone/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Our first computers were born not out of greed or ego, but in the revolutionary spirit of helping common people rise above the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/our-first-computers-were-born-not-out-of-greed-or-ego-but-in-the/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [ He \[Steve Jobs\] had come from the surplus electronics parts world.So he came from that world, and he said let's sell PC boards for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/he-steve-jobs-had-come-from-the-surplus-electronics-parts-world-so-he/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [I thought Microsoft did a lot of things that were good and right building parts of the browser into the operating system. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-thought-microsoft-did-a-lot-of-things-that-were-good-and-right/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [The best things that capture your imagination are ones you hadn't thought of before and that aren't talked about in the news all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/the-best-things-that-capture-your-imagination-are-ones-you-hadn-t/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [I hope you're as lucky as I am. The world needs inventors--great ones. You can be one. If you love what you do and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-hope-you-re-as-lucky-as-i-am-the-world-needs-inventors-great-ones/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Neither one of us could be sure we'd get our money back on this investment, but we just wanted to have company of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/neither-one-of-us-could-be-sure-we-d-get-our-money-back-on-this/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Wherever smart people work, doors are unlocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/wherever-smart-people-work-doors-are-unlocked/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [You need the kind of objectivity that makes you forget everything you've heard, clear the table, and do a factual study like a scientist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/you-need-the-kind-of-objectivity-that-makes-you-forget-everything-you/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

[Explore all 162 Steve Wozniak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

## More Apple inc quotes

> [There were taken apples, and ... closed up in wax. ... After a month's space, the apple inclosed in was was as green and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/there-were-taken-apples-and-closed-up-in-wax-after-a-month-s-space/)

[Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/)

> [I am the next C.E.O of Apple Inc…according to the will of Steven Paul Jobs…!!!!! ;-)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-the-next-c-e-o-of-apple-inc-according-to-the-will-of-steven-paul/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/here-s-to-the-crazy-ones-the-misfits-the-rebels-the-troublemakers-the-2/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Inc, which set the computing world on its ear with the Macintosh in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/steve-wozniak-and-steve-jobs-founded-apple-inc-which-set-the/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [ I'd say we \[Apple Inc.\] are the most creative of the technology companies and definitely the most artist-friendly. Almost everyone in the music business… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-d-say-we-apple-inc-are-the-most-creative-of-the-technology/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Apple introduces CarPlay for iPhone use in vehicles The CarPlay technology will be available in vehicles as early as this year. Photo: Bloomberg By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/apple-introduces-carplay-for-iphone-use-in-vehicles-the-carplay/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ Stealing things is everybody's problem. We \[Apple Inc.\] own a lot of intellectual property, and we don't like when people steal it. So people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/stealing-things-is-everybody-s-problem-we-apple-inc-own-a-lot-of/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [Interesting - I use a Mac to help me design the next Cray.(when he was told that Apple Inc. had recently bought a Cray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/interesting-i-use-a-mac-to-help-me-design-the-next-cray-when-he-was/)

[Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/)

Browse all 9 Apple inc quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have never left the company. I keep a tiny residual salary to this day because that's where my loyalty should be forever. I want to be an \"employee\" on the company data base. I won't engineer, I'd rather be basically retired, due to my family. (talking about his relationship with Apple Inc)",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steve Wozniak"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-tiny-residual-salary-to-this/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Apple inc"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-tiny-residual-salary-to-this/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/steve-wozniak-2527_apple-inc_i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-t_1826503.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have never left the company. I keep a tiny residual salary to this day because that's where my loyalty…” — Steve Wozniak",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Steve Wozniak",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have never left the company....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-tiny-residual-salary-to-this/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-have-never-left-the-company-i-keep-a-tiny-residual-salary-to-this/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
