Actually, I find that Emacs has a steeper learning curve than Vi/Vim. I had an easier time learning to switch between command/insert modes than to try and get comfortable with all of the Meta-/Control- sequences in Emacs.
{edit} not to start a flame war.. to each their own {/edit}
I find that Vim's learning "curve" is almost vertical at first, but Emacs' gets worse as it goes while Vim's gets better. There's an image here that illustrates the phenomenon pretty well:
You can use a text editor for your whole working life, so what doesn't matter is the learning curve. What matters is what you can do once you're an expert.
{edit} not to start a flame war.. to each their own {/edit}