Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak becomes Serbian citizen days before general election

American technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak, has been gifted Serbian citizenship by President Aleksander Vucic, just days before national elections.

Wozniak, an American citizen born in California, has no family or historical ties to Serbia and his surname has Polish origins. He was offered the passport by Vucic and accepted, just days before Serbs are set to vote in snap elections on 17 December.

“Now we can boast that the computer genius is Serbian, who will live most of his life in America but will also come to his Serbia,” Vucic said after the meeting with Wozniak.

“For companies like Apple, the corporate image, what a company represents, and the value of its brand, that’s how I think about Serbia now,” Wozniak said, adding that he tells his friends he is a Serbian living in America.

It is not known when his interest in Serbia developed or how many times he had visited the country prior to this weeks visit to meet Vucic.

He mentioned that a significant part of the EXPO 2027 exhibition will focus the world’s attention on Serbia. He added that he will work to ensure much more attention and influence is directed towards the country.

“I have seen how the city is planned and heard incredible stories you can tell about this country. So, it is time for you to go to the top, and I want to be a part of promoting Serbia and Serbia’s interests for the rest of my life,” he said.

Over the years, Wozniak has been involved in various ventures, focusing on educating children in schools on computer skills, and advocating the belief that hands-on learning inevitably stimulates creativity and innovation in students.

In recent years, he has helped finance entrepreneurial ventures in various fields such as developing the global navigation satellite system (GPS) and telecommunications, flash memory, technical education, environmental awareness, satellites, and much more.

(Jelena Nikolić | Euractiv.rs)