During Silicon Valley's hacker heyday in the 1970s, John Draper, now 63, was the legendary phone phreaker who hung out with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and used a whistle toy from a cereal box to generate the squeal necessary to trick Ma Bell's phone system into free long distance. (Hence his handle, Cap'n Crunch Captain Crunch, as he prefers the spelling). Today's Wall Street Journal profiles the eccentric Draper who apparently is now flat broke and living in squalor. Sad. From the WSJ:
(Music producer and computer programmer Tolga) Katas, who recently hired Mr. Draper to work for his online entertainment company, en2go.com, recently arranged to have Mr. Draper meet a software executive in Beverly Hills as a possible source for more work. Before the meeting, Mr. Katas emailed the executive about the "legendary John Draper," listing his achievements.
Mr. Draper, who was included in the email, replied to the executive and Mr. Katas that he had no money for parking and doubted that his car would make the trip across town.
"John just doesn't understand that if he seems unsuccessful, then successful people won't understand how talented he really is," says Christine Marie. Ms. Marie does promotional work for Mr. Katas and helps Mr. Draper organize his business life, handling invitations to speak at conferences and an online TV show he produces that deals with Internet security. She also occasionally cleans up his apartment and washes his clothes…
Contemporaries who've gone on to riches and fame say they've tried to help Mr. Draper over the years. Mr. Wozniak, who now invests in high-tech companies and is involved in computer education in schools, recently gave Mr. Draper a new Apple Powerbook computer. He has also helped out with Mr. Draper's legal bills.
Mr. Wozniak says Mr. Draper's problem is that his skills lie in technology rather in making business deals or starting a company. "He didn't come from a business orientation," says Mr. Wozniak.
Mr. Draper's unusual behavior, such as shouting at anyone smoking anywhere near him, could wear on fellow workers and employers. "He was not a self-starter, or associated with all the companies springing up back then," says Mr. Wozniak. "But, actually, John is one of the happiest guys I know, no matter what his situation seems."
Link (Thanks, Frank Drake!)
Previously on BB:
• Summer reads: Markoff's "What the Dormouse Said" Link
• Woz: Draper kicks azz Link
• Steve Wozniak interviewed by Pesco Link
UPDATE: Quite a few readers wrote in to share their unpleasant personal experiences, technical criticisms, and creepy rumors involving Draper. I'm well aware that he doesn't have a pristine reputation, however he's still a figure of note in Silicon Valley's early history.
