Gabe Newell Reveals Daily Life on His Boat, Working 7 Days a Week

Valve co-founder and head Gabe Newell has offered a rare glimpse into his lifestyle, discussing his days living, working, and enjoying life on a “boat.”

In a conversation with a YouTuber named Zalkar Saliev (via IGN), the 62-year-old Newell stated he works seven days a week from his bedroom aboard his superyacht because it’s “fun” and he still “enjoys working.”

When asked to describe his daily routine in an interview that Valve confirmed to PC Gamer was genuine, Newell said: “I wake up, work, go scuba diving, work a bit more. Then I either do a second dive or hit the gym for a workout. After that, I work. I live on a boat, so I just hang out with everyone aboard.”

“I work seven days a week,” he added. “I’m working from my bedroom, as you can tell. I enjoy working. It’s fun. To me, it doesn’t feel like work. The things I get to do every day are super awesome. I’ve said this before—when you retire, you want to quit your awful job and do something more fun and interesting. In that sense, I’ve been retired for a long time.”

Detailing projects keeping him occupied, Newell noted: “Working with Drew and Jeremy on AI stuff or Chris on Steam-related things… At one company, we’re developing an aerosol pathogen detection device to visualize airborne pathogens. Brain-computer interfaces are incredibly cool, and all the related neuroscience is amazing. So I just work constantly.”

“But it’s not like, ‘Oh God, I’m up late grinding away.’ It’s more that I can’t sleep because I’m having too much fun, you know?”

Newell previously worked at Microsoft, contributing to early versions of the Windows OS before departing in 1996 to co-found Valve with Mike Harrington and develop the studio’s debut game, Half-Life.