From Bill Gates to Elon Musk and Tim Cook, all the world’s top billionaires have to “take their hat off” before this tycoon.

Ten years ago, Steve Jobs died at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer. He passed away at the peak of his career as the number 1 influence in the technology industry.

From colleagues to competitors, all credit the success of the Apple co-founder. Jobs’ successors, Apple CEO Tim Cook to Bill Gates and Elon Musk or anyone in the process of building a career are inspired by the life of Steve Jobs.

Here’s what today’s top six business minds claim to have learned from the “tech giant”:

1. Bill Gates: Steve Jobs knows how to ‘fascinate’ the crowd

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are the most famous “competitive” couple of the technology world.

In the marketplace, Microsoft and Apple fought for 30 years. However, Gates and Jobs are two close friends. After Jobs passed away, Gates posted on Twitter: “For those of us lucky enough to work with Steve, it was a great honor. I will miss Steve so much.”

Since then, Gates has been open about his jealousy of “rivals” especially when it comes to motivation and public speaking skills.

In a September 2019 interview with the Wall Street Journal , the Microsoft boss said Jobs always had a natural talent for attracting audiences, even when he advertised a product that was not great. “Steve Jobs has always been natural in public speaking,” Gates said.

2. Tim Cook: “Mentors can get you ready, but they can’t get you ready”

Shortly before his death, Jobs handed over the CEO of Apple to Tim Cook. But even after spending 14 years learning directly from Jobs, Tim Cook admits he doesn’t feel ready to replace his predecessor.

Tim Cook and Steve Jobs (Image: MacRumors)

During a 2019 graduate address at Stanford University, Cook shared a valuable lesson from his mentor: “Fourteen years ago, Steve stood on this stage and said, ‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.’ It wasn’t until later that I understood. Mentors can prepare you mentally, but they can’t make you ready.”

Cook says Jobs’ experience of taking over has taught him the important difference between “prepared” and “ready”. He warns graduates that when the time comes to make a decision, even if you’re not ready, don’t hesitate.

Apple CEO said: “Find hope in the unexpected. Find courage in the challenge. Find vision on the lonely road.

3. Meg Whitman: “Simple can be harder than complex”

Jobs died nine months after Meg Whitman’s seven-year tenure as CEO of Hewlett Packard. He left his mark on Whitman’s leadership philosophy. Less than a year later, Whitman told the Wall Street Journal that she learned a lot from Steve Jobs.

“I don’t think we keep up with innovation,” Whitman said. “The whole market has moved into a new chapter… Apple has taught us that design really matters.” Jobs’ approach to product design is arguably one of his most famous legacies.

4. Jony Ive: “Wanting to learn is far more important than wanting to be right”

At Jobs’ funeral, Apple’s longtime Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, delivered a eulogy. In it, he mentioned Jobs as “my closest and most attached friend”.

Ive, when recalling memories with his late friend, said: “He was definitely the most inquisitive person I’ve ever met. Jobs’ insatiable curiosity was not limited or distracted by good knowledge. expertise, neither by chance nor by passivity. His curiosity was purposefully and rigorously tempered.”

Apple’s chief design officer said this curiosity was crucial to Jobs’ success. Because others are often tempted to just explore what they already know and what feels safe.

Jony Ive asserts: “Curiosity requires us to learn. And for Steve, wanting to learn is much more important than wanting to be right.”

Joint photo of Jony Ive and Steve Jobs (Image: BusinessInsider)

5. Elon Musk: “The ability to attract and motivate is very important”

Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted his wish was the chance to speak with Jobs even once.

At a Computer History Museum event in 2013, Musk shared that Larry Page once tried to introduce him to Steve Jobs at a party, but he received a cold rebuff.

In a 2018 interview with Autobild.tv , Musk said that he had long admired Jobs. The ability to grow Apple by attracting top talent and winning employee engagement is something Musk said he would try to do at Tesla.

6. Bob Iger: “It’s hard to find a better salesman than Steve Jobs”

In 2006, Jobs sold the animation studio Pixar to Disney for $7.4 billion. Bob Iger thinks it was a deal that “saved” Disney.

In 2005, when Iger learned he was going to take on a key Disney position, he called several people to share the news. Including family, ex-boss and Steve Jobs.

Iger declared in 2011 after his friend’s death: “Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our dear friend, and a guiding light for the Pixar family. He saw the potential. Pixar’s talent was ahead of ours, and beyond what anyone could ever imagine.”