"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me"
About this Quote
The second sentence shifts from public status to private ritual. “Going to bed at night” shrinks the horizon from shareholders and headlines to a single, repeatable moment of conscience. It’s also a CEO’s version of the artist’s question: did we make something that earned its existence? “We’ve done something wonderful” keeps the focus on creation rather than consumption, and it smuggles in a team ethic (even from a famously demanding leader) because “we” sounds nobler than “I” while still keeping him at the helm.
Context matters: Jobs is selling a philosophy of work that doubles as a brand myth. Apple’s pitch has always been moralized aesthetics - products as statements, not appliances. This quote reinforces that: the good life is defined by making “wonderful” things, not accumulating. The subtext is both inspirational and self-exonerating. If the measure is wonder, then ruthless focus, bruised egos, and massive profit become acceptable collateral, recast as the cost of building something that outlives you. It’s aspiration with a protective sheen: a way to make ambition sound like virtue.
Quote Details
| Topic | Legacy & Remembrance |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Jobs, Steve. (2026, January 14). Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/being-the-richest-man-in-the-cemetery-doesnt-24993/
Chicago Style
Jobs, Steve. "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me." FixQuotes. January 14, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/being-the-richest-man-in-the-cemetery-doesnt-24993/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me." FixQuotes, 14 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/being-the-richest-man-in-the-cemetery-doesnt-24993/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.













