Gouves appears to be fictional. : A post shared on Facebook claims a billionaire named Steve Gouves said on his deathbed, “In other eyes, my life is the essence of success, but aside from work, I have a little joy, and in the end wealth is just a fact of life to which I am accustomed.” Gouves appears to be fictional. Part of the alleged speech has previously been misattributed to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Social media platforms are replete with statements attributed to billionaires such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and George Soros.