In an interview with Bloomberg’s Erik Schatzker, the Microsoft co-founder acknowledged that both men have made massive contributions to the world. Still, he pushed back on the growing narrative that Musk is “the new Steve Jobs.”
“People have described Elon Musk as the new Steve Jobs. Is he the new Steve Jobs?” Schatzker asked.
Gates didn’t hesitate, stating: “If you know people personally, then that kind of gross oversimplification—it seems strange. You know, Elon’s more of a hands-on engineer. Steve was a genius at design and picking people and marketing. You wouldn’t walk into a room and confuse them with each other.”
And that wasn’t a diss. Gates had just spent part of the interview complimenting Musk’s contributions to electric vehicles and climate change.
“Elon Musk has built a great electric car,” Gates said. “He’s designed and built reusable rockets. He’s an innovator in tunneling.”
But while he gave credit where it was due, Gates drew a line between invention and inspiration.
Jobs, he explained, wasn’t the one building the tech with his own hands—he was the one turning that tech into cultural touchstones. “Steve was a genius at design and picking people and marketing,” Gates said, with a hint of admiration for his longtime rival.
Gates has publicly praised Musk’s work in many interviews over the years—crediting Tesla’s early lead in the EV market and SpaceX’s progress in space tech. But the admiration hasn’t exactly gone both ways. Musk, who’s been openly critical of Gates, accused him of shorting Tesla stock—something Gates admitted to, adding fuel to the tension between the two billionaires.
Still, Gates kept things respectful, staying focused on the difference in style—not substance.
While Musk is often found elbow-deep in engineering problems, Gates described Jobs as someone who crafted entire product ecosystems by assembling the right minds and pushing for perfection. “You wouldn’t confuse them,” he repeated, pointing out how their leadership styles were almost opposites.
The takeaway? Comparing Musk and Jobs might make for a good headline, but according to Gates, it flattens two very different kinds of genius into one—and does justice to neither.
