Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, who has maintained a less public role in recent years, has provided a rare glimpse into his current life and work philosophy in a new interview. While still present for major company milestones like the Steam Deck launch, Newell now dedicates much of his time to his other ventures, including the neural interface company Starfish Neuroscience and the marine research operation Inkfish.
In a confirmed interview with a small YouTube channel, the billionaire described his daily routine while living aboard one of his superyachts. “I get up, I work, I go scuba-diving, work some more, [then] either go on a second scuba dive or I go to the gym and work out,” Newell explained. “I work seven days a week… I like working, it’s fun, to me it doesn’t feel like work.”
Newell stated that he effectively considers himself retired, defining it as the freedom to only pursue projects that he finds genuinely interesting. “When you retire, you want to stop doing your horrible job and go do what is sort of most fun and entertaining,” he said. “In that sense, I’ve been retired for a long time.”
His current interests extend far beyond gaming. Newell mentioned working on an aerosol pathogen detection device and spoke of his fascination with brain-computer interfaces and their associated neuroscience. He summarized his intense work ethic not as a burden, but as a source of profound engagement.
“It’s not like ‘oh my god I’m up late at night slaving away on stuff.’ It’s more like ‘I can’t go to sleep because I’m having fun’, you know?”
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