NYSE Owner Says Successful Leaders Surround Themselves With Smart People

Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeffrey Sprecher credits Steve Jobs' strategy of curating top talent as key to his own success.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:23am

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Intercontinental Exchange founder and CEO Jeffrey Sprecher says he has been inspired by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' approach of surrounding himself with smart people and 'getting rid of the stupid ones.' Sprecher has led around 50 acquisitions over his career, finding it easier to scale up 'somebody else's hard work' rather than starting from scratch. He credits this strategy of curating top talent as key to his own success in turning a failing company into the $98 billion Intercontinental Exchange.

Why it matters

Sprecher's comments highlight the importance that many successful business leaders place on surrounding themselves with talented individuals and empowering them to drive innovation. This approach, inspired by visionaries like Steve Jobs, stands in contrast to micromanagement and has been credited with fueling the growth of major companies.

The details

Sprecher says he was never able to meet Steve Jobs, but considers the Apple co-founder a 'mentor' who taught him the value of curating ideas from smart people around him. Over his career, Sprecher has led around 50 acquisitions, finding it 'much easier to buy somebody else's hard work and the sacrifice that many others made' rather than starting from scratch. He got his start turning Warren Buffett's near-bankrupt electric utility company, MidAmerican Energy, into the $98 billion Intercontinental Exchange by empowering talented teams.

  • In the late 1990's, Sprecher bought Warren Buffett's near-bankrupt electric utility company, MidAmerican Energy, for just $1,000.
  • Over two decades later, the Intercontinental Exchange now boasts a market cap of $98 billion and more than 12,000 staffers.

The players

Jeffrey Sprecher

The founder and CEO of $98 billion Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange.

Steve Jobs

The late co-founder of Apple, whom Sprecher considers a 'mentor' and credits with teaching him the value of curating top talent.

Warren Buffett

The billionaire investor whose near-bankrupt electric utility company, MidAmerican Energy, Sprecher bought for $1,000 in the late 1990's and turned into the Intercontinental Exchange.

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What they’re saying

“Steve Jobs was Apple, right? But he didn't really write code or invent anything, Sprecher said recently at the Rotary Club Of Atlanta. 'He curated ideas that a lot of really smart people around him created. He just had good taste.'”

— Jeffrey Sprecher, Founder and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange (Rotary Club Of Atlanta)

“Surround yourself with really good people that have good ideas, and then just curate them. Get rid of the stupid ones and embrace the good ones, and you know that's partly why you look smart.”

— Jeffrey Sprecher, Founder and CEO, Intercontinental Exchange (Rotary Club Of Atlanta)

What’s next

Sprecher's comments highlight the importance that many successful business leaders place on surrounding themselves with talented individuals and empowering them to drive innovation. This approach, inspired by visionaries like Steve Jobs, stands in contrast to micromanagement and has been credited with fueling the growth of major companies.

The takeaway

Sprecher's strategy of curating top talent, inspired by Steve Jobs, has been key to his success in turning a failing company into the $98 billion Intercontinental Exchange. This underscores the value that many CEOs place on surrounding themselves with smart people and empowering them, rather than micromanaging.