Steve Jobs: legendary man, billionaire, founder of Apple. Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs): the story of the life and creation of the most famous corporation Apple

  • 17.10.2019

One of the most valuable companies for 2014 is Apple. According to the Fortune Global 500, "Yabloko" took an honorable fifteenth place in 2014, losing a couple of positions to Samsung Electronics. But in 2012, when Apple hit $500 billion in net worth, beating Exxon Mobil, the oil and gas company, Fortun ranked Apple first. But even $500 billion is not a record for them, because on February 10, 2015, the maximum world record was set in stock trading - $122 per paper, the estimated value of the company was more than seven hundred billion dollars.

From the first birthday, Yabloko had many managers, including Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, who entered the Guinness Book of Records as the lowest paid executive director with a daily salary of $ 1.

During the existence of Yabloko, the company's financial indicators either grew rapidly or fell down with the same desire, and the company's managers influenced the technological direction.

Among the significant figures was Steve Wozniak, who became the founder of Apple.

According to statistics from various research centers, the main growth of "Yabloko" was observed during the reign of Steve Jobs, and declines - in the years of his absence. Therefore, we can safely call Steve Jobs the main key figure in the development of the company.

Apple Founders

Over the years of existence and growth, there has been a lot of debate about who is the founder of Apple - Wozniak or Jobs. And is it true that the first Apple computer was assembled in a garage, or is it still in a student laboratory where both Steves worked.

Some authoritative publications, collecting historical references, interviewing and answering the question of who is the founder of Apple, they wrote "Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak", while others - "Steve Jobs is the only founder of the company."

But both Steves, answering the journalists' question, evasively evaded the answer, not taking on the sole function of the creator. So who became the founder of Apple officially, according to the papers? Most sources say that after all, Steve Jobs is the official and sole creator of the company.

From historical background

The official registration of the company took place in April 1976, although Jobs and Wozniak began their activities much earlier, meeting in the garage and assembling the first computer based on the MOS 6502 Technology eight-bit microprocessor.

Many print media that wrote and write articles about the history of the creation of Apple, opposite the question "who is the founder of apple" indicate: Steve Jobs, although Jobs himself always said:

Steve Wozniak and I worked together to build the first Apple computer.

After the official registration of the company, the first Apple-1 computer saw the light, and a little later - Apple-2, which sold millions of copies.

The Apple-2 industry continued until 1993, improving somewhat from release to release.

Since Apple-2 computers had few competitors in the 80s, the main peak of the popularization of the personal computer from the "Apple" came precisely during this period, more than five million devices were sold.

However, at the same time, the company was also experiencing a failure, releasing an unsuccessful model of the Apple-3 computer, which, surprisingly, did not in the least affect the sale of the first shares of the Yabloko company.

Failures continued to haunt the company in 1981, when Steve Wozniak left the company due to a plane crash, and Jobs was forced to lay off more than 50 employees from the state. The mass layoff was associated with the failed Apple-3 project.

To raise the company from the bottom, Jobs invited John Scully to the position of president of the company.

But the business relationship between Jobs and Sculley did not work out, and Jobs leaves the Yabloko by creating Next.

Birth of the Macintosh

The famous Macintosh computer first saw the light of day in 1984. For twenty years, the Yabloko company has been producing these computers as the main manufactured product, using Motorolla processors and its own operating system Mac OS.

In the mid-90s, Apple licenses the right to use its own OS to other computer manufacturers, but the licenses were soon revoked.

In 1996, the Yabloko company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Losses amount to more than two billion dollars.

In 1997, the one who is the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, returns to the Yabloko, after which the company's business is going uphill. The company begins to develop new technologies that are not related to computers, and already in 2001 the first iPod music player saw the light.

In 2007, Apple releases the sensational iPhone, and Steve Jobs begins to be called the first person in the world who provided users with pocket Internet.

Three years later, Apple releases the first iPad.

The last three new products released by the company are fundamentally changing the financial situation, and Apple is becoming the most successful manufacturer in the modern gadget market.

Litigation

The stunning success of Yabloko gave rise to envious people, and caring competitors one after another began to flood the company with lawsuits.

Even the Finnish company Nokia did not stand aside and in 2009 filed a lawsuit against Yabloko, accusing it of infringing several patents. The court then satisfied the claim from Nokia, and ordered Yabloko to pay compensation.

While 2 giants were suing, the world saw a line of gadgets from samsung galaxy, like two drops of water similar to the iPhone and iPad. Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung with the wording "copying the software, interface and design" of the aforementioned gadgets, but in response, Samsung filed a lawsuit against the "apple" companies with the same wording that Nokia filed and won in 2009.

The court recognized both companies as violators, having satisfied all claims, and ordered them to pay compensation to each other, and also banned the sale of popular gadgets on their territory by both companies (litigations took place in South Korea).

Death of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs died in 2011 from an incurable disease. Apple has continued its work and successfully releases new innovative devices.

Steven Paul Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California. He was an American inventor, entrepreneur and industrial designer. And also one of the founders, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of Apple Corporation. A very famous person.

Steve Jobs. History of success

Childhood of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs' parents were unmarried students. The father is from Syria, and the mother is a German immigrant. Steve's mother studied at the university, where his father worked as a teaching assistant. The relatives of the girl, who was only 23 years old, were against their relationship and threatened to deprive her of her inheritance. A young student was forced to go to give birth to a private doctor in San Francisco, and give the child up for adoption.
Paul Jobs and an Armenian-American adopted a boy because they couldn't have children of their own. They named their adopted son Stephen Paul. Stephen's biological mother wanted her son to grow up in a family of people with higher education. The foster parents gave her a written agreement that they would pay for the boy's education. Jobs always considered adoptive parents to be father and mother. It annoyed him when someone called them adoptive. The biological parents did not know anything about the whereabouts of the child.
Steve's adoptive father worked for a financial company. He was an auto mechanic and in his garage repaired old cars for sale. His desire was to instill in the boy a love for auto mechanics. But this occupation was not for Steve. Through cars, he got acquainted with the basics of electronics, which he found very interesting.

School

Steve didn't like school. The way Steve Jobs studied at school was interesting. Except for one teacher who saw his abilities, all the teachers considered him a prankster. She found an approach to him and rewarded him for good studies, stimulating his learning. As a result, without help, Steve began to study well, and passed all the exams perfectly, so much so that the director offered to transfer him from the fourth grade to the seventh straight away! Steve was enrolled in the sixth grade.
Steve was in contact with an engineer who brought him to the research club of a company. There he saw a personal computer, from which he was impressed. In this club, each member worked on their own project. Steve decided to build a digital frequency counter. But to implement his project, he needed details. Then Jobs, who was only 13 years old, called the head of this company at home. So he got the right parts and work on the assembly line, causing envy in rivals. Steve also delivered newspapers and worked in a warehouse in an electronics store. At the age of 15, he already had his own car. A year later, he traded it for a better one. Steve started hanging out with hippies, listening to Bob Dylan and The Beatles, smoking marijuana and using LSD.
A friend and classmate of Jobs introduced him to Steven Wozniak, who was fond of computers. In 1969, Woz and a friend started building a small computer and showed it to Jobs, who was very interested. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak became best friends.
Jobs carried out his very first business project while still at school. After him, Steve realized that electronics is a good income. He carried out this project together with Stephen Wozniak. After which they collaborated a lot more.

reed college

In 1972, Steve Jobs graduated from high school and left his parental home, despite the objections of his parents. In the same year, Steve entered Reed College, a private university, the most expensive in America. It was difficult for his parents to pay for tuition. But Steve wanted to study there, despite the fact that he dropped out after half a year. This college was filled with free spirits and a hippie atmosphere, and the standards of education were high and with a rich curriculum. But Steve found it boring and uninteresting. There, Jobs first became seriously interested in one of the Eastern spiritual practices, Zen Buddhism. He became a vegetarian and began to starve.
He was expelled, but he could still go to classes for free for a whole year, which seemed interesting to him. One of them was calligraphy courses.
Jobs lived a bohemian lifestyle, despite occasionally sleeping on friends' floors and eating once a week free meals at a Hare Krishna temple.

Working at Atari

In 1974, Jobs got a job as a technician at the fledgling company Atari. There he brought the game to completion and put forward design proposals. But for his arrogance and untidy appearance, he was disliked. But the founder and head of this company liked him, who transferred him to work on the night shift in order to keep his job.
That same year, Jobs traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment. His loved ones knew that he went on this trip to numb the pain of the realization that he was abandoned immediately after birth. After learning about his real parents, Steve hoped to understand something very important about himself and his place in life. Returning, Jobs found himself a spiritual mentor. He stayed in India for 7 months and arrived very thin, tanned, with a shaved head and in Indian clothes. Also during this time, Jobs was experimenting with psychedelics.
"Homemade Computers Club"
On March 5, 1975, a meeting of the Homemade Computer Club was held. There was Steve Wozniak, for whom the club has become a second home. After the first meeting, he began designing the machine, which was later called the Apple I. Wozniak got the first unique result: the display of characters typed on the keyboard. Woz showed this to Steve Jobs, who was greatly impressed by it.
Jobs also began to visit the club. More precisely, he was at several meetings and was able to get the best, expensive and very scarce spare parts for Wozniak's computer for free.

Creation of Apple

The history of the creation of Apple began with the fact that Jobs immediately started talking about the commercial potential of this invention. He convinced Woz to stop handing out computer blueprints to everyone, despite the fact that it was not customary in the club to hide the exchange of ideas. He also drew attention to the fact that members of the club are working on drawings, not bringing their projects to working condition. Jobs suggested that Woz sell the finished printed circuit boards at the club, and take over the most difficult part of the work, deciding to sell them at twice the price.
For the required amount, he sold his minibus, and Wozniak, one of his main values, a programmable calculator. With this money, Jobs paid an Atari employee he knew to create a printed circuit board design so that he could then give it to mass production. They received the first batch of boards.
He took one of his friends, well versed in documents, to his team, in case of disagreement with Wozniak.
It remains to register a company. I had to come up with a name. Jobs had just returned from a farm where he had pruned apple trees and was on an apple diet. He became a Fruitarian, considered it enough to wash no more than once a week and returned home absolutely happy. Woz met him at the airport. On the way home, they selected a name for the future company, because in the morning they had to submit documents for its registration. Jobs came up with "Apple Computer" and declared that if nothing better was proposed by morning, the name would remain. And so it happened.
The company was registered on April 1, 1976. Wayne drafted the partnership agreement, wrote the first manual for the Apple I, and designed the logo. After 12 days, Wayne realized that the tasks of the two comrades were too much for him, and left the company, taking his share.

Together with a friend, Steve developed one of the first personal computers with great commercial potential.
At a meeting of the Homemade Computer Club, Jobs and Wozniak presented their computer. Steve Jobs spoke passionately and with conviction, but only one person became interested in the computer - the owner of one computer store. The next day, Jobs came to his store and made a deal, because he ordered 50 pieces at once.
They were housed in Jobs' house and garage. Work began, Steve attracted almost everyone. During this work, Jobs first showed himself as a tough, authoritarian leader. He made an exception only for Woz, never once raising his voice to him.

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A month later, the order was ready. The Apple I came with complete motherboards. The Apple I is credited as the first computer in history to be shipped off the shelf, as other computers have hit the market as kits. Later they managed to realize more than a hundred Apple I computers.

The Apple II computer was the company's first mass-produced product.
Apple I contained almost no electronic innovations. While working on it, Wozniak came up with ideas that he later implemented in a separate model. Apple's new product had many revolutionary features.
Due to the reorientation of business to the mass consumer, the first serious disagreements arose between Jobs and Wozniak.
Jobs concluded that device design matters a lot.
He realized that the production of computers with a plastic case and an original design was beyond their means. He decided to sell the rights to all development to Atari. There was a meeting with the director. But nothing came of it, because Steve smelled so much that the director was sick. In addition, Jobs threw his bare feet right on the table and he screamed out the door.
Then Jobs held a presentation of the Apple II. He behaved so arrogantly and self-confidently that Wozniak was very ashamed. The management refused them, but Jobs did not give up. He was advised to approach the founder of one of the first venture capital companies.
The founder of this company showed up in the Jobs' garage. The atmosphere and appearance of the inhabitants of the garage made an impression on him. Steve tried to look informal - skinny and with a sparse beard.
He told Jobs that he was ready to finance them if he hired an employee who understood marketing and was able to write a business plan. It turned out to be Mike Markkula, who offered Jobs and Wozniak financing in exchange for a third of Apple shares. On January 3, 1977, the Apple Computer partnership became the Apple Corporation.
Markkula strongly influenced Jobs, because his authority was comparable to that of his father.
After the founding of the corporation, Apple acquired its own office. The company had several employees. The question arose about its president. The 22-year-old eccentric, shaggy, constantly dirty and ragged Jobs was not suitable for this job. Mike Scott was invited to this position, he was an experienced leader, and his main task was to subdue Jobs, who became more rude and quick-tempered, because of which ordinary programmers had a hard time.
Dealing with Jobs, who always wanted to be first, was not easy for the new president. Jobs did not have as many conflicts with anyone as with him.
Without the help of an advertiser who quickly agreed to cooperate with Apple, one could not even dream of success. It was instructed to develop a logo for the company and the product. The art director suggested two options: a logo in the shape of an apple, a whole one, and a bitten one. Jobs said that a whole apple could easily be mistaken for a cherry, and chose the bitten one. In addition, he settled on a version with six colored horizontal stripes due to its psychedelic nature. This logo was approved until 1998.
In 1977 there was the first Computer Fair. Jobs decided to impress everyone with the Apple exposition and his efforts paid off, because Apple received an order for 300 computers and the company got its first foreign dealer.

A rapid growth in sales and prosperity began for several years to come. The scandals and conflicts between its founders were no longer paid attention. The Apple II was successful and profitable for 16 years. During this time, up to 6 million Apple II computers were sold, because it was one of the most profitable projects, and this is the result of the joint work of engineer Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, manager and designer. If Jobs had not finalized it externally, it would have been gathering dust on the shelves idle.

The Apple III was a redesign of Wozniak's business computer. Businessmen, acquiring Apple II for work, bought two additional expansion boards for the computer. It was decided to put everything together. These were two different computers in one case.
There was a huge advertisement, but it quickly became clear that computers were unstable in Apple III mode. The machine managed to be finalized, increasing the stability of work, but the reputation of the Apple III was already damaged, and two years later the Apple III was completely discontinued.
Apple Lisa

Steve Jobs lost interest in the Apple III at the development stage. He started a new project. And he brought two engineers to Apple, setting them the task of developing an “advanced” computer. Jobs named the project Lisa, after his recently born daughter. Apple engineers got the job done by designing a better and more powerful computer with nothing new but apps.
The state of affairs with Lisa did not suit Jobs, because he needed a breakthrough, movement, and not a repetition of the past.
Xerox has been investing in venture capital and has expressed interest in acquiring Apple shares. Jobs immediately made the condition that in return Apple employees would have access to their latest developments. An agreement has been reached. Xerox management felt that Apple employees would not understand anything about their developments. Jobs realized that they were trying to deceive him and demanded to organize a second excursion, on which he took Bill Atkinson and programmer Bruce Horn with him. It didn’t work again: Atkinson and his colleagues quickly “saw through” them. Jobs became very angry and complained over the phone to the head of the venture capital department. The company's management immediately contacted the scientific center and demanded to immediately show Jobs the full development capabilities.
Apple's raid on Xerox PARC is called the most daring robbery in the history of the IT industry, because Jobs learned the secrets of Xerox. Ideas were the main thing, and their implementation became a matter of time.
Xerox had an excellent chance of capturing the computer market, but missed the opportunity. The next move was for Apple.
Jobs could easily call some engineer in the middle of the night and dictate his instructions to him. He became more aggressive and terrorized the employees so much that Markkula and Scott, without looking at his status, reorganized Apple behind his back. 25-year-old Jobs was removed from his post, transplanted into the honorary chair of the chairman of the board of directors, with no real powers. So Steve Jobs was excommunicated from the project, which he himself initiated.

Jeff Raskin, who drew Jobs' attention to Xerox developments, led another project at Apple. He wanted to create an inexpensive portable machine that folded like a suitcase and more like a household appliance. After starting work on the project, he changed its name to Macintosh, after his favorite variety of apples. The Macintosh prototype was three times cheaper and worked twice as fast. Jobs switched from the Lisa project to the Macintosh.

There were disagreements between Jobs and Ruskin.
It was said about Steve that he does not trust anyone and when he is told new ideas, he criticizes them and says that this is complete nonsense and a waste of time. But if the idea is good, then soon he begins to tell everyone about it as if he came up with it.
Jobs took over the Macintosh project and immediately set about revamping the Mac team while continuing to recruit new employees. Watching the reaction of each candidate, he demonstrated a prototype computer. If a candidate perked up, began to ask about everything and tried to immediately try everything, Jobs enrolled him in the group.
Jobs limited the size of the computer. Even its internal parts had to look harmonious. He was convinced that access to the content system block only Apple employees should have. Jobs believed that the buyer should feel like they are purchasing a unique and complete work of art.
Due to the personal ambitions of Steve Jobs, his actions led to a split in the team, because he did not miss the opportunity to let go of a taunt or some other trick.
The style of Apple's follow-up products, Jobs did not dare to develop on his own.
While working on the Macintosh, Jobs traveled to Japan, visiting high-tech factories there, which impressed him with exemplary discipline and impeccable cleanliness in the shops. Returning, Jobs decided to build a factory for the production of Macintosh. He ordered the factory walls to be whitewashed and the machines to be painted in bright colors, shocking employees and workers.
The Lisa computer was presented to the public, favorably differed from competitors' products by its high quality and advanced features. But the unaffordable price did not show high sales. All the same, Jobs, having lost the battle, was confidently moving towards the final victory.
He lured the best specialists of the company who worked on other projects to him, and from the Lisa project he stole everything acquired and valuable.
Jobs increasingly took over the leadership of the company, almost regaining his influence and authority, but he understood that much would depend on who took the chair of Apple's president. Jobs was the obvious choice, but everyone knew he wasn't ready to lead just yet. I had to look for a candidate on the side.
Steve knew how to always get his way, and knew exactly what to say to everyone.
The new head of the company liked Jobs and he accepted the offer to lead Apple. The first serious conflict between them occurred before the presentation of the Macintosh, when he insisted on including the cost of an advertising campaign in the price of the product, which led to a rise in the price of the computer.
Jobs turned the Macintosh presentation into a show. The computer itself spoke about itself, with the help of a software speech generator.

The firing of Steve Jobs

After the successful entry of the Macintosh into the market, Steve Jobs's position at Apple was temporarily strengthened. But within a year, Macintosh sales began to plummet. Users found the strengths and weaknesses of the computer. Jobs took the highly dubious step of ordering unsold Lisa computers to install Macintosh emulation and market the result under the Macintosh XL brand. Sales tripled, but it was a hoax that Apple's top folks rebelled against.
The second unsuccessful action of Jobs was the launch of an advertising campaign for the Macintosh Office suite. Jobs took on a pushy and aggressive tone too strongly. The ad is dark and depressing. The Macintosh Office project failed.
Jobs became increasingly withdrawn and irritable. The crisis caused a deterioration in his working relationship with the new leader, leading to a power struggle between them. Jobs' leadership did not support and removed him from management. Then he conceived in the absence of a new leader to stage a coup and seize power. But even his most loyal supporters considered this plan madness. The council sided with the leader. So, in 1985, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple. He lost the power struggle. Steve believed that everyone betrayed him and abandoned him. After a while, he stopped going to work and made sure that no one noticed his absence. Jobs lasted five months before leaving Apple and founding NeXT Inc.

NeXT Computer

In 1985, Jobs met a biochemist who said the computer needed to be personal, powerful, and inexpensive. Jobs launched the Big Mac project to build such a computer.
He lured several of the Macintosh team to his side and registered NeXT Inc, a company developing a computer platform for universities and businesses.

Jobs saw the creation of a computer for the needs of science and education. He undertook to position the new computer as a "professional workstation" delivered directly to colleges and universities.
A year later, Steve Jobs' company went bankrupt. The situation was saved by a businessman who bought a 16% stake in the company for $ 20 million, which was the first major investment in NeXT.
NeXT computers went on sale.
In the same 1990, the second generation of the NeXTcube computer was released. With an innovative multimedia e-mail system, NeXTcube allowed the sharing of voice, images, graphics and video.
The NeXT station was rejected as too expensive. But among those who could afford it, NeXT gained fans because of its technical advantages. Only 50 thousand cars were sold.

Pixar and Disney

Shortly before leaving Apple, Jobs met the head of the computer division of the Lucasfilm film studio, who was looking for a buyer for this division, and Jobs decided to buy this computer graphics division of Apple.
An agreement was reached for Jobs to purchase 70% of the division, which developed both hardware and software for graphics and animation, and produced films. The company has become a Pixar studio. Jobs intended to go to the mass market with the Pixar Image Computer, making it cheaper. But the company suffered losses, and Jobs was forced to constantly invest in it personal funds.
Jobs realized that they should focus on filmmaking. The Disney film company turned its attention to Pixar. An agreement was signed on their joint production, the terms of which were unfavorable for a young company that was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Jobs decided to take the risk by staging a public offering after Pixar's premiere. But it became profitable, and the studio gained financial independence.
Steve Jobs was Pixar's CEO and major shareholder. Disney agreed to acquire Pixar. Once the deal was closed, Jobs became the largest private shareholder in The Walt Disney Company with a 7% stake in the company. His stake was larger than that of the founder, a member of the Disney family, Roy Disney. After Jobs' death, his Disney shares were transferred to the Steven Jobs Trust.
Steve Jobs. Return to Apple
By the mid-1990s, Jobs was already the head of the family: a wife and two children. He needed a constant source of income. But his company, NeXT, had difficulty developing a new operating system for the Mac and was at an impasse. Jobs understood that he couldn’t get out on his own, and again began to look towards Apple, whose business was also not going very well, because after Jobs left, Apple held on for several years on old ideas and developments, and then its market share fell.
The Apple director realized the depth of Apple's crisis and accepted Jobs's proposal for a possible merger or takeover of NeXT.
On December 20, Jobs returned to the company he founded, and was introduced to the team as "adviser to the chairman." Movement began to be felt immediately: production was reduced, followed by a series of personnel changes and reshuffles. Jobs quickly managed to move people loyal to him into key positions in the company.

Think Different

Steve Jobs dismissed the board. Jobs' mentor was among those fired. Jobs treated him like a father figure and traveled personally to announce his resignation and ask for advice. He was sympathetic to Jobs' decision and said that in order to save the company, he would have to re-produce something that no one had done before.
Jobs turned to old acquaintances from the agency for help. Of all the options, Steve Jobs chose the concept of Think Different (“Think differently”).
He set out to restore the old relationship between Apple and its customers.
Jobs regained control of Apple by taking over the corporation. Under his leadership, the company was saved from bankruptcy and a year later began to make a profit.
He took drastic measures to revive the company and closed whole line projects. Many employees at this time were afraid to run into Jobs in the elevator for fear of losing their jobs. More than 3,000 people were fired during the year.
Jobs was opposed to product cloning and refused to renew software licenses for third-party hardware manufacturers.
Instead of a large assortment, he announced the development of only four product names, appearance which Jobs paid particular attention to.

The achievement of the alliance of Jobs and one of his employees was the first iMac G3, because it became the best-selling computer in Apple history.
Since then, an attractive design and a powerful brand have worked for Apple.

Apple Store

Steve Jobs did not like the conditions in which Apple products are sold and he thought about creating an Apple specialty store.
He hired a vice president of sales, who advised him not to rush the opening of the store, but to start secretly modeling it.
Jobs himself thought through and approved every detail.
The Apple Store was predicted to fail, but after 3 years, Apple stores were visited by an average of 5,400 people a week. Now there are a lot of Apple stores in the world. which bring in the most income.

Creating iTunes

The IT industry has evolved. Steve Jobs came up with a global idea for a computer to make a breakthrough.
The grandiose work began with the creation of a high-quality software. On January 9, 2001, the iTunes media player was introduced.

An important part was to be the miniplayer. We decided to create our own device. Jobs changed the switch, which has become a hallmark of many Apple devices.
The first generation of the iPod was released on October 23, 2001. Jobs calculated that sales of the iPod would spur demand for computers as well, because the iPod was positioned as a cult accessory and indeed gained this status.
So Apple became a major player in the music industry.

iTunes Store

Steve Jobs introduced the iTunes Store online music store. He decided to sell songs not by albums, but by the piece. Music moguls took a chance, because the losses from piracy were massive.
The head of the iTunes Store predicted a million sales in the first 6 months, but a million songs were sold out in just 6 days! Apple entered the market with confidence.

First iPhone Model

The success of the iPod did not bring peace to Jobs. Development mobile phones led to a drop in demand for cameras and digital cameras. Jobs knew that all the functions of other devices should include a phone. Then the music player will no longer be needed.
The mechanical keyboard was removed and its functions were taken over by the software part. Jobs decided to try glass, which needed to be strong and durable.
The main trump card of the model was a large glass screen.

The phone was introduced in January 2007, the presentation of which was the best in the career of Steve Jobs. The telephone was also declared the invention of the year.

The following years, Steve Jobs was sick a lot, but took part in the development of the iPad Internet tablet, the presentation of which he himself held.
It was the most successful consumer product launch in history.

The success of the company allowed Apple to become in 2011 the most valuable company in the world. Apple's renaissance has been called one of the greatest accomplishments in business history. Despite this, Jobs was criticized for his authoritarian management style, aggressive actions towards competitors and the desire for total control over products even after they were sold to the buyer.

Resignation

On June 6, 2011, Steve Jobs gave his last presentation. Jobs later resigned as CEO of Apple, retaining his position as chairman of the board of directors. A few hours later, Apple Inc. fell.

State

Steve Jobs became a millionaire by the age of 25. He was the owner of 5.426 million shares of Apple. Also owned 138 million Disney shares. Forbes magazine in 2011 rated net assets Steve Jobs at $7 billion and placed him in 39th place in the ranking of the richest Americans.

Management style

Jobs sought to position Apple and the company's products at the forefront of the information technology industry. He said that great things in business are not done by one person, but by a team. His subordinates respected him, because Jobs created the feeling that the impossible is possible.
After being fired from Apple and working at NeXT, Jobs' temper softened.

Inventions and projects

Relationships with figures in the IT industry

Steve Jobs and Microsoft CEO Bill Gates are of the same age and are at the origins of the computer revolution. They played decisive roles. The first of them developed the talent of a designer and the eloquence of a salesman. The second, experienced and cautious, knew a lot about programming.
Microsoft has developed its own Windows operating system based on the same principles as the Mac. Jobs accused Gates of betrayal and theft. Their relationship soured. The differences between them were in different approaches to work.
Returning to Apple, Steve Jobs decided to put an end to this war, because of which there were several lawsuits. Jobs suggested that Gates invest $150 million in Apple and develop Mac-compatible software. Jobs went on to say that this was one of his biggest mistakes.
Later, relations between entrepreneurs improved.
Jobs gave a speech, raising a toast "To both of us" and shedding tears. In 2011, Bill Gates paid the last visit to Steve Jobs, whose illness was already critical. They spent more than two hours together, discussing with great animation.
One of Jobs' best friends in IT was the founder of Oracle. Jobs was modest and did not demonstrate his wealth. Another close friend of Jobs was Millard Drexler.
Jobs was surrounded by both friends and enemies. He was constantly in conflict with someone. Towards the end of his life, Steve Jobs got to grips with Google.
Apple is still trying to get its way through the courts, already without Steve Jobs.
Social activity
Jobs did not sign the Giving Pledge, which required the world's richest billionaires to give at least half of their wealth to charity. But despite this, Apple has become the largest donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
In 2010, US President Barack Obama met with Steve Jobs, who criticized the US educational system, saying that he would not last longer than one term. In 2011, Obama was at a meeting with representatives of the IT industry, where Jobs said that the President is a smart person, but he endlessly explained why this or that could not be done. And that it pissed him off.

Scandals

In 2001, Jobs received stock options for 7.5 million Apple shares. The case was the subject of criminal and civil investigations. Jobs could face a number of criminal charges and civil sanctions. Jobs was not fully aware of them. The scandal led to a fall in Apple stock and the layoff of several employees.
The decrease in the value of shares due to fraud and scandal has led to a number of lawsuits. A $7 billion class action lawsuit was filed against several Apple board members, including Jobs. Apple management came to an agreement with shareholders and paid a number of compensations.

Unauthorized biographies

In 2005, John Wiley & Sons sent out a copy of an unauthorized biography, iKona. Steve Jobs". According to some reports, the order not to release the publication came personally from Steve Jobs.

Harassment of bloggers

Jobs was very sensitive about his speeches at product launches and demanded the strictest secrecy. A website was founded where information about Apple's new products was published before its official announcement. A lawsuit was filed against the owner of the site and his resource was closed.
March 25, 2010 someone Brian Hogan in one of the bars found a prototype of a new iPhone models accidentally left there. The blog has an article about the device of the phone. Apple filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office, searches were carried out in apartments. As a result, bloggers, having agreed to return the sample of the corporation, avoided the charge of buying up stolen goods. Steve Jobs took part in the development of this conflict.

Censorship on iPhone and iPad

Jobs tried to maintain control over the actions of users. It was about banning pornography on Apple devices. Jobs responded that, in his understanding, freedom includes "freedom from porn" and other inappropriate and potentially harmful content.
He was told that arrogance is not good for an industry leader. But Jobs said there was no arrogance in his position.

Personal life

Steve Jobs tried to adhere to the principles of Zen Buddhism and the Bauhaus. He was a pescatarian. Jobs usually wore a long-sleeved black turtleneck, blue jeans, and sneakers. This is how he expressed his style.
Jobs drove a silver Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG without license plates and rented a new one every six months.
He was a big fan of Bob Dylan and The Beatles and referred to them more than once in his performances.

Search for biological relatives

In 1986, Jobs' adoptive mother died. Previously, Steve hired a detective to find his mom. He found a doctor who gave it to the Jobs. The doctor lied to him that all the documents were burned in a fire, but in reality he put them in an envelope, writing to send them to Steve Jobs after his death. Soon the doctor died, and Jobs received documents from which he learned everything about his parents and sister.
Steve considered Paul and Clara his parents, and in order not to upset them, he asked journalists not to publish if they found out something about his biological parents.

Meeting the biological mother

Steve met his own mother and younger sister only after 31 years.
After the death of his adoptive mother, Steve called the biological, and arranged a meeting. He did this out of curiosity, and wanted to assure the biological mother that she did the right thing. He wanted to meet her to see if she was okay and to thank her for not having an abortion. She apologized to him. Steve told her not to worry because he had good childhood and everything worked out.

Acquaintance with the biological sister

In 1985, on the day he met his own mother, Steve also met his sister, Mona Simpson, who, with the help of a private detective, found a father whom Steve did not want to meet because he left his wife and daughter.

Not knowing who his son had become, he told Monet that he used to have a cafe in Silicon Valley and said that even Steve Jobs had been there and was generous with tea. Jobs asked Mona not to tell her father about herself. But his father accidentally found out that Jobs was his son, but also did not seek a meeting with him.

Relationship with biological family

Ten months after abandoning the child, Steve's biological parents got married. They later had a daughter. They divorced, and the father lost contact with his daughter. Steve's mother remarried.
Jobs and his sister were close friends and kept their relationship under wraps until 1986. He also maintained friendly relations with his biological mother.

Relationships with women

Jobs has always found it difficult to contain his feelings and emotions. He was very addicted and publicly demonstrated the delight of a newly wound romance or longing for separation. Many considered him a romantic person, although in relations with women he was sometimes prudent, selfish, rude and cruel.

Chris Ann Brennan

Chris Ann Brennan, a hippie girl, was Steve's first love, whom he began dating before leaving school. Their relationship was not easy. Steve and Chris constantly drifted apart, then converged. After some time, Chris became pregnant. Jobs acted like it didn't concern him. Chris gave birth to a daughter, Lisa Brennan. Jobs continued to deny his paternity, claiming that Brennan was not the only one dating him. Chris was arguing with Steve that he was making her walk so as not to take responsibility. Jobs took part in the fate of his daughter: he persuaded Chris not to give the child to strangers, helped to choose a name for the girl and named the new Apple Lisa computer by this name.

A year later, Jobs passed a paternity test, which showed that he was the father of the child and he was ordered by the court to pay child support. But even after that, Jobs refused to recognize his daughter for a long time. Later, he recognized Lisa as his daughter, and when she grew up, she and her father got along well.

Tina Redse

In 1985, Jobs met, in his words, the most beautiful woman in his life and his first true love, hippie type, Tina Redse. She also worked in IT. They were united by a difficult childhood, both of them were in search of beauty and harmony. By nature, they were similar in neuroticism, sensitivity, they could give vent to tears. She was strong-willed, easily neglected her unusual beauty, often without makeup, which made her even more beautiful. Their romance was very stormy. Despite the similarities, the differences were insurmountable, because Redse was the kindest person. Philosophical differences were also very deep. In 1989, Steve proposed to Tina. There was a refusal and a break in relations.

Lauren Powell was the only wife of Steve Jobs and the second woman he loved. She was eight years younger than him.
On January 1, 1990, Jobs proposed to Powell. They went on a trip, after which it turned out that Lauren was pregnant.
In 1991 there was a wedding. In family life, Jobs was happy.
In the same year, the couple had a son, then two daughters. But Jobs did not devote much time to children. He communicated more with his son, who had good manners and a gentle character, only outwardly he looked like him.

Health problems

Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003. The prognosis for the development of this form of cancer is extremely unfavorable, but Jobs turned out to have a type of disease that can be surgically treated. Jobs refused to undergo surgery for nine months. He tried to prevent the disease by means of alternative medicine. In July 2004, Jobs agreed to a pancreaticoduodenectomy, during which the tumor was successfully removed, but at the same time, liver metastases were detected. Doctors managed to partially sequence the cancer genome. During Jobs' absence, the company was run by Tim Cook, Apple's head of international sales and operations.
Jobs' health gradually deteriorated, he became very thin. Jobs did not reveal the truth about his health condition. Cancer metastasized, due to painkillers and immunosuppressants, Jobs had no appetite, he was prone to frequent depression. Apple shares were down.
In 2009, Jobs told everyone about the illness and went on vacation, again handing over the business to Tim Cook. He underwent a liver transplant operation. In early 2010, he returned to work.
On August 24, 2011, Jobs announced his resignation. Tim Cook was his successor. Jobs remained involved in Apple affairs, advising Tim until his last day.

Death of Steve Jobs

After eight years of fighting the disease, on the afternoon of October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs died due to complications that led to respiratory arrest. Steve Jobs' cause of death was pancreatic cancer. He died surrounded by his family at the age of 56. His initial choice of alternative treatment resulted in an early death.
Relatives said that Jobs died peacefully. The words of Steve Jobs before his death were: Wow! Wow! Wow!
Apple and Microsoft have lowered their flags. There was also an instruction to half-mast flags at all Disney properties, including Disney World and Disneyland.
A small, private funeral was held on 7 October 2011 at the only non-denominational cemetery, details of which were not made public.

Media coverage

Adult Swim aired a 15-second video with the word "hello" fading out, then changing to "goodbye."
Awards and public recognition
Jobs has received public recognition and a number of awards for his influence. He has been called the "father of the digital revolution". Jobs was a brilliant speaker and took innovative product presentations to the next level.
A long article was published about Jobs as "the most famous micro maestro".
Steve Jobs was awarded, received an award and was a laureate of the "Technology - the Chariot of Progress" competition. In 2007, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife inducted Jobs into the California Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Fortune magazine named Jobs the most powerful person in business, and in 2010 he was ranked 17th in the list of the most influential people in the world.
In 2011, a bronze statue of Steve Jobs was unveiled. In 2012, Steve Jobs was named "the greatest entrepreneur of our time" and was posthumously awarded the Grammy Trustees Award. The Disney film "John Carter" and the Pixar cartoon "Brave" were dedicated to him.
On the first anniversary of the death of Jobs, a sculpture was unveiled - a 330-kilogram composition is an almost two-meter palm of Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs greatly changed the modern world and revolutionized no less than six industries.

Criticism

Jobs' personal qualities have often been criticized because he always strived for universal, the only possible, perfection, beauty and simplicity. He needed complete control over any situation. Steve was considered evil, cruel and vengeful. He often poached employees of other companies and abandoned everyone he hired.
Apple policy has always been the policy of Steve Jobs. Apple tightly controls consumer computers and portable devices.
10 books have been written about Steve Jobs, 6 documentaries and 3 feature films have been shot, as well as one theatrical production in New York.

"The thought of imminent death - The best way get rid of the illusion that you have something to lose. You are already naked, and there is no reason not to follow your heart. Death is the best invention of life"
Steve Jobs, Apple CEO
Speech to Stanford students, 2005

Later, Jobs' character softened, but he still did eccentric things. For example, in 2005, he banned the sale in the Apple Store of all books published by John Wiley & Sons, which published an unauthorized biography of Jobs, iCons. Steve Jobs, written by Jeffrey S. Young and William L. Simon.

Steve Jobs was the primary inventor or co-inventor of many things from computers to user interfaces. Among his inventions are sound speakers, keyboards, power adapters, as well as items far from the world of computer technology, such as ladders, fasteners, belts and bags. Of his prolific inventiveness, Jobs said, “Looking back, I can say that my firing from Apple was the best event of my life. I got rid of the burden successful person and regained the ease and doubts of a novice. It liberated me and marked the beginning of my most creative period." (A speech to Stanford alumni, 2005).

In 1991, Steve married Lauren Powell. The couple have a son and two daughters. Jobs was also the father of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, born in 1978 from a relationship with artist Chrisanne Brennan.

Since traveling to India, Jobs has remained a Buddhist and has not eaten animal meat. Eastern philosophy was reflected in his worldview and attitude to life and death: “Remembering that I will die soon is a great tool that helped me make all the most important decisions in life. The thought of imminent death is the best way to get rid of the illusion that you have something to lose. You are already naked, and there is no reason not to follow your heart. Death is the best invention of life." (Speech to students at Stanford, 2005)

In the summer of 2004, Jobs told Apple employees that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The malignant tumor was successfully removed surgically, but the disease was not completely defeated, and Jobs had to undergo regular treatment in the hospital.

On January 17, 2011, Jobs was forced to take a long-term vacation to "focus on his health." However, on March 2, 2011, he spoke at the presentation of the iPad2.

August 24, 2011 Jobs open letter announced his resignation as CEO of Apple. He thanked the employees of the corporation for their excellent work and strongly recommended that Tim Cook be appointed as his successor, who replaced Jobs during treatment. The Apple board of directors later unanimously elected Jobs as chairman.

Upon learning of his death, many Americans came to Apple Stores, lit candles and left flowers and condolence cards.

With condolences on the death of Jobs, US President Barack Obama spoke, calling Jobs "the embodiment of American ingenuity", and Bill Gates in his speech noted that "it is very rare in the world to meet people who can make a contribution to it like Steve's, the effects of which will be felt by more than one generation.

Steve Jobs was not just a successful leader of one of the largest companies world, but also the genius of the IT industry, who brilliantly implemented bold ideas that seemed crazy to many. His contribution to the development of computer technology is invaluable, but already now we can note several revolutionary achievements that have come true thanks to Jobs: affordable smartphones, the iPad Internet tablet - a possible "killer" of the PC and the unique business model of Apple Corporation, which made it one of the most successful companies in the world. .

Quotes and sayings by Steve Jobs (Steve Jobs Quotes)

Knowing that I'm about to die is the most important tool I've ever had in order to make the big decisions in life. Because almost everything - all the expectations of others, all the pride, all the fear of embarrassment and failure - all these things recede in the face of death, leaving only what is really important. The thought of imminent death is the best way to get rid of the illusion that you have something to lose. You are already naked, and there is no reason not to follow your heart. Death is the best invention of life.

Being the richest man in the graveyard doesn't matter to me. Going to bed with the thought that we have created something beautiful is what is important to me.

Do you want to sell sweet water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and try to change the world?(This is the question Jobs asked PepsiCo president John Sculley in 1983, when he lured him to Apple's CEO job.)

The desktop market is dead. Microsoft completely dominates without bringing any innovation to the industry. This is the end. Apple lost, and the history of personal computers entered the Middle Ages. And this will continue for about ten years.

I didn’t have my own room, I slept on the floor with friends, I rented 5-cent cola bottles to buy food, and every Sunday I walked 7 miles to have a good dinner at the Hare Krishna temple once a week. And it was great!

We are here to contribute to this world. Otherwise, why are we here?

Innovation comes from people meeting in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 p.m. to talk about a new idea or simply realizing something that will change our understanding. It's a sudden meeting of six people called by someone who thinks they've figured out the coolest thing in the world and who wants to know what others think of it.

You know that we eat food that other people grow. We wear clothes that other people have made. We speak languages ​​that were invented by other people. We use mathematics, but other people also developed it ... I think we all say this all the time. This is a great opportunity to create something that could be useful to mankind.

There is only one way to do great work - to love it. If you don't get there, wait. Don't get down to business. As with everything else, your own heart will help you to suggest an interesting business.

Steve Jobs timeline in photos (Steve Jobs timeline)

1977 Apple co-founder Steve Jobs introduces the new Apple II. Cupertino, California. (AP Photo/Apple Computers Inc.)

1984 From left to right: Apple Computers Chairman Steve Jobs, President and CEO John Sculley, and one of founders of Apple Steve Wozniak introduces the new Apple IIc computer. San Francisco. (AP Photo/Sal Veder)

1984 Apple Computer Chairman Steve Jobs and the new Macintosh computer at a shareholder meeting. Cupertino, California. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

1990 President and CEO of NeXT Computer Inc. Steve Jobs demonstrates the new NeXTstation. San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

1997 Pixar CEO Steve Jobs speaks at MacWorld. San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

1998 Steve Jobs of Apple Computers introduced the new iMac. Cupertino, California. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

2004 Apple CEO Steve Jobs shows off the iPod mini at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Steve Jobs, diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, noticeably begins to lose weight. This series of images is dated (top series from left to right): July 2000, November 2003, September 2005, (bottom left to right) September 2006, January 2007 and September 2008. He went on an extended vacation because his health problems were more complicated than he thought. Investors are shocked, the company's shares in January 2009 fell by 10 percent. (REUTERS)

2007 Steve Jobs keeps Apple iPhone at the Macworld conference in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

2008 Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds the new MacBook Air. Presentation at the MacWorld Apple conference. San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

2010 Presentation by Steve Jobs of the new iPad. (REUTERS/Kimberly White)

October 2011 Steve passed away on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at the age of 56. Apple iPhone displays a picture of Steve Jobs. New York, Apple Store. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Good luck friends. Take care of yourself.

Steve Jobs has long been elevated to the rank of god. But he had many quite earthly shortcomings: intemperance, pettiness, greed and irresponsibility. The documentary "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" was released today in the United States, which examines his personality from a critical point of view. The Atlantic magazine wrote an article about the importance of rethinking the figure of Jobs, and The Secret chose the most interesting episodes from it.

Like any technical device, the iPhone has a motherboard, a modem, a microphone, microchips, a battery, gold and silver conductors. The indium tin oxide screen coating conducts electricity and thus brings the iPhone back to life with a single touch. Of course, the iPhone is much more than just a smartphone. Thought, memory, empathy - these things are usually called the soul. The iPhone's metal, coils, parts, and chips are designed to keep product lists, photos, games, jokes, news, music, secrets, voices of loved ones, and messages from close friends all at the same time.

It doesn't matter how many years have passed since 2007, and the generations of iPhones that go and come to replace the generation of iPhones mean nothing. There is some kind of anthropological alchemy in this device, something magical and mystical at the same time. They say about Apple technology that these are the first devices that began to arouse affection and love in the consumer. Apparently, that is why the person who gave life to the iPhone is already included in the pantheon of inventors who have changed the world beyond recognition. Gutenberg, Einstein, Edison - and Steve Jobs.

But what did Jobs actually do, and what were his methods? These questions have become the subject of new documentary film Alexa Gibney's "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" is about a man who insisted that technology has its own "I". The film does not question the merit of Jobs and his place in history. The director claims that Jobs and we deserve more than a banal and convenient biography for everyone. Gibney's work reimagines the legacy of Jobs, debunks myths and complicates already known facts with circumstances. The film begins with a scene at a makeshift monument erected in honor of Jobs after his death in 2011. "It's not often that the entire planet mourns a loss," Gibney notes. And in one of the many enthusiastic obituaries for Jobs on YouTube, a ten-year-old schoolboy says: “The head of Apple invented the iPhone, iPad, iPod. He created everything for us."

It's fair to say that the kid is right about one thing - the iPhone and many other Apple products only exist because of Jobs. "He's still not an inventor, but a visionary who was able to sell his vision to the world," Gibney insists.

Jobs' vision was shaped by Buddhism, Bauhaus design, calligraphy, poetry, humanism - a willful fusion of art and technology. All this was transferred to his products. Jobs hired into the company people who, under other circumstances, could become both artists and poets - but in the digital age, they decided to express themselves through computers. He focused on artistry and spirituality.

We are used to Steve Jobs being characterized in this way. What everyone usually ignores is that he was still a real asshole, Gibney says. Not just a harmless jerk, but a tyrant who prefers threats. Jobs parked his unregistered Mercedes in disabled spaces. He abandoned the mother of his unborn child and only acknowledged paternity in court. He abandoned colleagues who were no longer useful to him. And useful brought to tears. And on top of all this is a demonstrative contempt for charity, stock exchange fraud and the horrors of Foxconn (Foxconn is a Taiwanese company that manufactures components for Apple, Amazon, Sony and others. Human rights activists believe that employees work in the company's factories in inhuman conditions, child labor is used, overtime hours are not paid, and industrial accidents happen almost every day.- Ed.).

These and other shortcomings of Steve Jobs, which, to put it mildly, were many, are documented in blogs written before and after his death, in biographies, and in the feature film Jobs: Empire of Seduction. Some biographers consider his shortcomings insignificant: they say, they are inherent in any genius. Others stubbornly try to minimize them so as not to denigrate the appearance of their hero. There are those who do perhaps the worst of all - they assure us that Jobs's negative personal qualities not only do not make him less important, but also strengthen him on a pedestal. His uncompromising attitude, his uncompromising bullying, his tendency to put the needs of computers above human needs - all this was necessary, according to supporters of this version. Jobs' wacky personality, like his black turtleneck with New Balance sneakers, made him who he was, which means they gave the world Apple the way it is. Jobs could afford to be an asshole, because his successes justify his shortcomings.

The documentary "Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine" does not try to justify Jobs. His shortcomings are not just mentioned, they are in the spotlight. Alex Gibney in his film offers the viewer the views of all sides: both like-minded Jobs and his critics, including former bosses, former friends, ex girls and former employees. "He wasn't a nice guy," says MIT professor Sherry Turkle. "He had only one speed - full speed ahead!" says Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, under whose leadership Jobs once worked. “Steve was ruled by chaos: first he seduces you, then he ignores you, and then he denigrates you,” complains engineer Bob Belleville, a former subordinate of Jobs. “He didn’t know what a real connection was, so he created a completely different form of connection,” says the mother of his daughter, Chrisann Brennan.

Every conclusion in the film, every person, reminds us of the sacrifice Jobs made those around him make. “What kind of asshole do you have to be to be successful?” - asks the director.

But the most compromising statements in the film come from Jobs himself. Gibney gets a video of him testifying to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) in 2008 in connection with the "options scandal". On it, Jobs is frankly annoyed, fidgeting nervously in his chair, grimacing and throwing malicious glances. When asked why he decided to ask for an options premium, Jobs replies: “It wasn't really about the money. Everyone just wants to be recognized colleagues. And it seemed to me that I did not receive anything like this from the board of directors. The viewer sees the head of one of the most influential companies in the world puffed up with resentment. And this allows you to look at all the actions of Jobs - betrayal, mockery, an absolutely self-centered view of the world - from a human point of view. Jobs may have been a great man, but he was also a little kid: self-centered and desperate to please.

But does it all have any meaning? Wasn't Einstein the same child inside? And if Edison's actions were questioned and challenged, wouldn't the great inventor begin to sulk? We will never know the answers to these questions, because there were no social networks or blogs in their lives. They lived in blissful times that allowed them to be remembered by the world for what they did, and not for who they really were. Steve Jobs was less fortunate. He lived in our time - when the attitude towards our heroes is made up not only of their achievements, but also of their personality. We live in an age of sophisticated idolatry. And the irony is that this century came about largely thanks to Steve Jobs.

Cover photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images