Most people imagine the head of a major tech company lives a super busy life. They might picture endless meetings and late nights. But Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve, offers a different picture entirely. He recently shared a peek into his daily routine, and it sounds surprisingly calm, even with his big responsibilities.
Newell talked about his typical day with YouTube channel Zalkar Sailev. Many fans had guessed what his life might be like. But Newell revealed a simpler truth. He wakes up, gets some work done, then goes scuba diving. After that, he comes back to do more work. He might even go for a second dive, or hit the gym.
“I live on a boat,” Newell explained. “Sometimes I join friends on the boat for social fun. Then it’s back to work.”
It might sound easygoing, but diving twice a day is pretty impressive. Especially since Newell works almost every single day, seven days a week. His office space? It’s his bedroom on the boat. He still really enjoys his work, whether it’s with Steam or other projects. He truly loves his current work-life balance.
Newell added that when people retire, they usually try to escape from boring tasks. They look for fun and entertainment instead. “But for me, right now, I think I retired a long time ago,” he said. You can read more about his routine here.
He summed it up perfectly. “It’s not like, ‘Oh gosh, I worked so hard late into the night.’ It’s more like I enjoy the work so much that I just lose track of time.” It seems that for Gabe Newell, work isn’t a chore; it’s just another part of a great day.