Steve Jobs was the co-founder, chief executive officer, and chairman of Apple Computer, one of the world’s largest and most influential technology companies, which he established together with Steve Wozniak. He also served on the boards of Pixar and Walt Disney Company. In 2010, with a personal fortune estimated at 6.1 billion dollars, Jobs was considered one of the wealthiest individuals in the technology sector. In 2011, he temporarily stepped away from Apple to focus on treatment for recurring liver-related health issues.

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, California, United States. Although he was the biological child of Joanne Carole Schieble and Abdulfattah John Jandali, his parents were unable to care for him financially, and he was placed for adoption one week after his birth. He was adopted by Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs, and spent his youth in Mountain View, California.

After graduating from Cupertino and Homestead high schools in California, he enrolled at Reed College in Portland. However, he dropped out before completing his first semester. Following his decision to leave college, Jobs supported himself by collecting and selling bottles and cans, and by eating free meals provided by the Hare Krishna Temple. During this period, he continued attending selected classes on campus, most notably calligraphy courses, which he later stated became the foundation of the typography and fonts used on Macintosh computers.

In 1974, Jobs returned to California and began collaborating with Steve Wozniak at the Homebrew Computer Club. At the same time, he worked as a game developer at Atari. With the money he saved during this period, he traveled to India with his college friend Daniel Kottke, where he was introduced to Buddhism.

In 1976, Steve Jobs, together with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, founded Apple. One of the company’s first major milestones came in 1978, when Mike Scott joined as CEO. With its rapidly expanding vision, Apple soon became one of the most innovative companies in the industry. In 1984, the company introduced the Macintosh, then the most advanced personal computer ever produced, dramatically increasing Apple’s value. However, internal conflicts led to Jobs being forced out of the company he had founded in May 1985.

Shortly after leaving Apple, Jobs founded a new computer company called NeXT, which produced personal computers similar to the Mac but significantly more powerful. Although revolutionary in design and functionality, the high cost of these machines limited their appeal largely to laboratories and universities. In 1993, after selling only about 50,000 units, NeXT ceased hardware production and shifted its focus entirely to software.

The Graphics Group, a company sold by Lucasfilm, was acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986 for 10 million dollars. Renamed Pixar, the company initially focused on developing special-effects software but failed to achieve major success. With significant financial backing from Disney, Pixar changed direction and became a computer-animated film studio. The company achieved massive commercial success in 1995 with Toy Story. This was followed by major hits such as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, and Ratatouille. Within just a decade, Pixar became the leading company in its field. Acquired by Disney in 2006, Pixar’s valuation had grown from 10 million dollars to 7.4 billion dollars.

In 1996, Apple acquired NeXT for 429 million dollars. The technology developed at NeXT played a crucial role in Apple’s revival, leading to innovations such as Mac OS X, iMac, and numerous new hardware and software designs. Jobs served as interim CEO for several years and, in 2000, officially became a permanent member of Apple’s board of directors.

During the 2000s, Apple introduced groundbreaking products such as iPod, iTunes, Apple Store, and iPhone, transforming the music, mobile telecommunications, and consumer electronics industries. Although computer production was no longer the company’s primary focus, Apple computers continued to symbolize prestige and luxury.

According to official figures released in 2009, Steve Jobs ranked as the 43rd richest person in the United States with a fortune of 5.4 billion dollars. He held or co-held over 230 patents and was recognized as one of the most influential figures in the development of mobile technology, contributing inventions ranging from user interfaces to keyboards and adapters.

Steve Jobs had been married to Laurene Powell since March 18, 1991, and they had three children together. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, he successfully underwent surgery but continued to receive treatment for related complications. In 2009, he received a liver transplant and temporarily stepped away from Apple. Eighteen months later, on February 17, 2011, he announced that due to declining health he would hand over daily management of the company to Tim Cook, while remaining involved in strategic decisions.

Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011, at his home in Palo Alto, California, United States, at the age of 56.

Source: Biyografiler.com