Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was born in 1955 in San Francisco, California, US. Steve Jobs's background is described as Syrian and Swiss-German descent; adopted by a working-class California couple. Growing up, the family was working class — adoptive father was a machinist, mother a bookkeeper; biological parents were graduate students who gave him up for adoption. Adopted by a working-class couple; co-founded Apple in the family garage at 21.

Born

1955 · San Francisco, California, US

Roots

Syrian and Swiss-German descent; adopted by a working-class California couple

Family

Working class

Adoptive father was a machinist, mother a bookkeeper; biological parents were graduate students who gave him up for adoption.

Education

Reed College (dropped out after one semester)

Started with

~$1,300

Raised by selling his VW van and Wozniak's programmable calculator.

Affiliations & societies

None documented.

Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.

The pathway

1. 1974 · age 19
   Atari technician

   Works on arcade games; travels to India the same year.

2. 1976 · age 21
   Co-founds Apple~$1,300

   With Steve Wozniak, assembling the Apple I in his parents' garage.

3. 1977 · age 22
   Apple II and first investor$250K

   Mike Markkula invests and guarantees a credit line.

4. 1980 · age 25
   IPO$217M

   His stake is valued around $217M at listing.

5. 1985 · age 30
   Leaves Apple

   Resigns after a board dispute strips his operating role; founds NeXT.

6. 1986 · age 31
   Buys Pixar$10M

   Acquires the graphics group from Lucasfilm.

7. 1996 · age 41
   Returns to Apple$429M

   Apple acquires NeXT for $429M; he becomes CEO the following year.

8. 2007 · age 52
   iPhone

   Apple later becomes the world's most valuable company.