Steve Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955-October 5, 2011);[1] born in Los Altos CA served as the liberal CEO of Apple, Inc. until August 24, 2011, which he co-founded with Steve Wozniak in 1976. He also co-founded Pixar Animation Studios in 1986. In 2010, Steve Jobs was recognized as the “best-performing CEO in the world.”[2] Steve Jobs grew up in the apricot orchards which later became known as Silicon Valley, and lived there with his wife and three children until his death on October 5, 2011.[3][4]
Jobs reportedly claimed that he left Christianity when he was thirteen and saw a Life magazine picture of starving children.[5] That story, however, sounds implausibly similar to the reason given by Buddha for founding Buddhism, a belief system that Jobs later found attractive. Jobs was, in fact, similar to many California teenagers in the 1970s who did what they liked, while rejecting Christianity. But that all changed when he found out about his cancer. "Ever since I've had cancer, I've been thinking about (God) more. And I find myself believing a bit more. Maybe it's because I want to believe in an afterlife. That when you die, it doesn't just all disappear." [6]
Jobs left Apple in 1985 when the CEO he recruited in 1983 gave the board of directors a "him or me" ultimatum, but later returned in the mid-1990s to eventually restore it to preeminence. He was credited with overseeing the development and marketing of the Macintosh, the iPad, the iPhone, and the iPod.
Steve Jobs co-founded Pixar Animation Studios in 1986. Pixar merged with The Walt Disney Company in 2006, and Jobs served on Disney's board of directors. Jobs was one the very few persons to successfully run a company that takes a horizontal diversification approach (selling and marketing a variety of products that would appeal to their original consumer base). He was also one of the adoption success stories.
Jobs co-invented 313 Apple patents, mostly on designs rather than as utility patents. This is far more than most technology executives, such as Bill Gates.
Jobs donated a modest amount (relative to his wealth) of $150,000 in soft-money to causes related to the Democratic Party,[7] but it is likely that Jobs supported liberal causes simply to further his own businesses, rather than based on his personal views.[8] There are strong indications that Jobs became more conservative on issues like the public schools as he grew older. When he met with Barack Obama, Jobs was sharply critical of his policies.[9]
As an adopted child raised by adoptive parents, Jobs later met his biological mother and told her he was glad he didn't end up as an abortion[10]
National Technology Medal from President Reagan in 1985, before founding NeXT; Jefferson Award for Public Service in 1987; Entrepreneur of the Decade by Inc. Magazine in 1989. [1]
Categories: [Apple Inc.] [Computers] [Business People] [Buddhists] [Billionaires]