STEVE JOBS

*Steve Jobs – Biography

*Steven Paul Jobs (1955 – 2011)* was an American entrepreneur, inventor, and visionary co‑founder of *Apple Inc.*, whose relentless pursuit of elegant design and seamless technology reshaped multiple industries—from personal computing and smartphones to animated films and digital music.

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Early Life & Adoption
- *Born 24 February 1955* in *San Francisco, California*, to *Joanne Carole Schieble* (who gave him up for adoption).
- Adopted by *Paul and Clara Jobs*, a working‑class couple in *Mountain View, Santa Clara County* (Silicon Valley).
- Childhood exposure to electronics: father *Paul* built cabinets; neighbor *Larry Lang* introduced him to *Heathkit kits*.

Education & First Ventures
- Attended *Homestead High (Cupertino)*, where he met *Steve Wozniak*.
- 1972: Enrolled at *Reed College (Portland, Oregon)* but dropped out after one semester, auditing classes (e.g., calligraphy).
- 1974: Worked at *Atari* (video‑game company) to fund a pilgrimage to *India*, seeking spiritual insight.

Apple’s Birth (1976)
- *April 1 1976:* Jobs, *Steve Wozniak*, and *Ronald Wayne* founded *Apple Computer, Inc.* in Jobs’ parents’ garage.
- *Apple I (1976)* – hand‑built by Wozniak; *Apple II (1977)* became the first mass‑market personal computer, driving Apple’s early success.

Rise, Ouster & Return
- *1984:* *Macintosh* launch—“*1984*” Super Bowl ad; revolutionary GUI (graphical user interface).
- *1985:* Internal power struggle → Jobs *forced out*, resigning to start *NeXT Computer*.
- *1986:* Bought *Pixar* from *George Lucas* for $10 M; Pixar produced *Toy Story (1995)*—first fully CGI feature film; later sold to Disney for $7.4 B.
- *1996:* Apple acquired NeXT; *Jobs returned as CEO (1997)*.

The “Second Coming” (1998‑2011)
- *iMac (1998)* – colorful, all‑in‑one design; revived Apple financially.
- *iPod (2001), iTunes (2001), iPhone (2007), iPad (2010)*—created new product categories, transforming music, mobile, and tablet markets.
- *Keynotes:* “*One more thing…*” became legendary; design mantra—*“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”*

Leadership Style
- *Perfectionist*, demanding of himself and others; known for *reality distortion field*.
- *Hands‑on* product design, blending hardware, software, and services.
- *Charismatic showman*, inspiring loyalty (but sometimes harsh critiques).

Personal Life & Challenges
- Married *Laurene Powell* (1991); children *Lisa, Reed, Erin, Eve*.
- 2003: Diagnosed with *pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (rare, slow‑growing)*.
- *5 October 2011:* Died at *56*, Palo Alto, California.

Legacy
- Apple became the *world’s first $1 trillion company (2018)*; now valued > $2 T.
- *iOS ecosystem* (App Store, iCloud) powers billions of devices.
- Influenced design philosophy: *minimalist UI*, *focus on user experience*.
- *Philanthropy:* Pledged billions to education, health, renewable energy (via *Apple Renewables*, *Jobs’ personal foundation*).

*Quotes:*
- “*Stay hungry, stay foolish.*” (Stanford 2005 commencement).
- “*Design is how it works.*”

Walter Isaacson – _Steve Jobs_ (biography), Apple press releases, Stanford Commencement 2005.