Adopted at Birth:Steve Jobs was adopted shortly after his birth in 1955 by Paul and Clara Jobs. He didn't discover he was adopted until he was a teenager. Later in life, he connected with his biological sister, Mona Simpson, who became a well-known novelist.
College Dropout:Jobs attended Reed College but dropped out after just one semester. However, he continued to audit classes that interested him. His interest in calligraphy, for instance, influenced the design of Apple's Macintosh computers, emphasizing the importance of fonts and typography.
Early Entrepreneurial Ventures:Before founding Apple, Jobs and Steve Wozniak collaborated on a project called "Blue Box," a device that allowed people to make free long-distance phone calls by manipulating the analog phone system.
Fired from Apple:Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985 after a power struggle with the company's board of directors. He went on to found NeXT and acquire The Graphics Group, which eventually became Pixar Animation Studios.
Pixar Success:Jobs acquired The Graphics Group (later renamed Pixar) from Lucasfilm in 1986. Pixar went on to create groundbreaking animated films, including "Toy Story," and was eventually acquired by Disney in 2006, making Jobs Disney's largest individual shareholder at the time.
Reality Distortion Field:Colleagues and employees often referred to Jobs' ability to manipulate reality as the "Reality Distortion Field." He had a charismatic and persuasive personality, which he used to motivate his teams and drive innovation.
Vegan Diet:Jobs followed a strict vegan diet for most of his life, and he was known to be a picky eater. His dietary preferences influenced the design of the Apple campus cafeteria, emphasizing vegetarian and vegan options.
No License Plate:Jobs famously didn't have a license plate on his car. In California, where he lived, there is a law requiring license plates, but Jobs took advantage of a loophole that allowed him to go without them by leasing a new car every six months.
Relationship with Bill Gates:Despite being competitors, Jobs and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, had a complex relationship. In the 1990s, Microsoft invested in Apple to keep it afloat, and Jobs appeared at a Macworld conference via satellite link with Gates.
Last Words:Jobs' final words, uttered on his deathbed in 2011, were reported to be "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow." The specifics of what he was experiencing or referring to remain a mystery.