What is Andy Hertzfeld’s Net Worth?
Andy Hertzfeld, an American computer scientist and inventor, has a net worth of $50 million. He was a part of the original Apple Macintosh computer development team in the early 80s.
Hertzfeld’s fascination with Apple began after he bought an Apple II, and he went on to work for the company from 1979 to 1984 as a designer for the Macintosh system software.
Post-Apple, Hertzfeld co-founded electronics companies such as Radius, General Magic, and Eazel. He also worked as a designer at Google from 2005 to 2013, where he was the key designer of the Circles user interface in Google+.
Hertzfeld’s life has been portrayed in two films, “Jobs” and “Steve Jobs,” where he was played by Elden Henson and Michael Stuhlbarg, respectively.
Early Life and Education
Andy Hertzfeld was born on April 6, 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Brown University and graduated with a degree in computer science in 1975. Hertzfeld then pursued his graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
Andy Hertzfeld’s Career at Apple
In 1978, Hertzfeld purchased an Apple II computer and soon after started developing software for it. He also began writing for the monthly publications Call-A.P.P.L.E. and Dr. Dobb’s Journal. Eventually, this drew the attention of Apple itself, which hired Hertzfeld in 1979 as a systems programmer.
During his early years at Apple, Hertzfeld developed the firmware for the company’s first printer, the Apple Silentype, and also wrote the firmware for the Sup’R’Terminal, the first 80-column peripheral card for the Apple II computer. Later on, he wrote an icon and font editor to enable the design of the standard Macintosh computer icons, which he enlisted his artist friend Susan Kare to design.
In 1981, Hertzfeld became a member of the design team for the Apple Macintosh computer, working for Bud Tribble alongside Burrell Smith and Bill Atkinson. He served as the primary software architect of the Macintosh Operating System, which broke ground at the time for its use of the graphical user interface. Additionally, Hertzfeld wrote major portions of the original system software for the Macintosh, including such integral components as the user interface toolbox, control panel, and scrapbook.
Co-founder of Radius and Digital Origin
After leaving Apple in 1984, Andy Hertzfeld co-founded Radius, a computer hardware company that specialized in Macintosh peripherals and accessories. The company’s first product, the Radius Full Page Display, allowed users to move windows across multiple screens. Radius went public in 1990, but by 1992, it faced difficulties and was accused of insider trading. After layoffs in 1993, Radius acquired VideoFusion and SuperMac. In 1999, it changed its name to Digital Origin and focused on video editing software and hardware. The company was eventually acquired by Media 100 in 2002.
General Magic: Hertzfeld’s Second Company
General Magic was founded by Andy Hertzfeld, Marc Porat, and Bill Atkinson in 1990. The software and electronics company operated in secrecy but attracted the attention of prominent electronics corporations such as Sony and AT&T, who became partners and investors. In 1994, General Magic released Magic Cap, its flagship product, an object-oriented operating system used in Sony’s Magic Link and the Motorola Envoy. The company also developed antecedents to USBs, software modems, touchscreen controller integrated circuits, and networked games.
General Magic went public in 1995, but its success was short-lived. By the end of the decade, the company’s stock had dropped significantly, leading to its discontinuation of operations in 2002. Two years later, General Magic was liquidated.
Eazel: Hertzfeld’s Third Company
In 1999, Hertzfeld founded Eazel, which employed former staff from companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Netscape, and Sun Microsystems. The company’s main product was the Nautilus file manager for Linux’s GNOME desktop. Eazel failed to monetize and secure necessary funding, leading to the company’s closure in the spring of 2001.
Activities of Andy Hertzfeld
Andy Hertzfeld volunteered for the Open Source Applications Foundation from 2002 to 2003 and wrote early prototypes of personal information management software Chandler.
In 2004, he launched folklore.org, a storytelling platform that includes anecdotes about the making of the original Macintosh computer.
Hertzfeld worked for Google from 2005 to 2013 and served as the key designer of the Google+ Circles user interface and worked on image-organizing software Picasa.
Andy Hertzfeld’s Home Value Skyrockets
In 1998, Hertzfeld married Joyce McClure. The couple resides in Palo Alto, California. They bought their Palo Alto home a year after marrying, for $350,000. Today the home is likely worth $6-7 million.
