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Steve Jobs

Co-founder of Apple, founder of NeXT and chairman and CEO of Pixar; died in 2011^{Source [14]}^{Source [12]}^{Source [15]}

Personal computersConsumer electronicsProduct designAnimationSoftware

Last verified Oct 2, 2026

About

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976, when the two signed a partnership agreement creating Apple Computer Co. The Apple II followed in 1977, the company went public in late 1980, and in January 1984 Jobs introduced the Macintosh.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}

After a power struggle with CEO John Sculley, Jobs resigned from Apple in September 1985 and founded NeXT, which built workstation computers and the NeXTSTEP operating system. In 1986 he bought Lucasfilm's Computer Division and set it up as Pixar, which released Toy Story, the first computer animated feature film, in 1995.^{Source [1]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [4]}^{Source [5]}^{Source [2]}

Apple acquired NeXT in February 1997, and Jobs became Apple's interim CEO that September and CEO in 2000. As CEO he introduced the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. NeXTSTEP became the basis of Mac OS X.^{Source [3]}^{Source [6]}^{Source [7]}^{Source [8]}^{Source [9]}^{Source [4]}

When Disney completed its purchase of Pixar in May 2006, Jobs joined Disney's board and became its largest shareholder. He resigned as Apple's CEO on August 24, 2011, was elected chairman, and died on October 5, 2011. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.^{Source [10]}^{Source [2]}^{Source [11]}^{Source [12]}^{Source [13]}

Watch

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address by Stanford on YouTube

Career

Apple

1976 to 2011

1985 to 1997

1 company has no public dates yet, so it is listed below but not charted.

Company	Years	Role	Status
Apple Co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976 and resigned in September 1985 after the board sided with CEO John Sculley. He returned through Apple's February 1997 acquisition of NeXT, was named interim CEO on September 16, 1997, later served as CEO, and resigned as CEO on August 24, 2011, when he was elected chairman. Apple's board announced his death on October 5, 2011.^{Source [1]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [11]}^{Source [12]} Introduced the first Macintosh at Apple's shareholder meeting on January 24, 1984.^{Source [1]} Returned through Apple's February 1997 acquisition of NeXT and was named interim CEO in September 1997.^{Source [3]}^{Source [1]} Introduced iPod on October 23, 2001.^{Source [7]} Introduced iPhone at Macworld on January 9, 2007.^{Source [8]} Introduced iPad on January 27, 2010.^{Source [9]} Suggest a correction to Apple	1976 to 2011	Co-founder^{Source [1]}^{Source [14]}^{Source [15]}Director^{Source [14]}^{Source [12]}Interim CEO^{Source [3]}^{Source [14]}^{Source [15]}CEO^{Source [6]}^{Source [11]}^{Source [15]}Chairman of the Board^{Source [11]}^{Source [12]}	IPO
Pixar Animation Studios Bought Lucasfilm's Computer Division in 1986 and set it up as an independent company, Pixar. When Disney completed its all-stock purchase of Pixar in May 2006, he joined Disney's board as a non-independent director; the deal made him Disney's largest shareholder.^{Source [5]}^{Source [10]}^{Source [16]}^{Source [15]} Bought Lucasfilm's Computer Division in 1986, when about 40 people worked there, and established it as the independent company Pixar.^{Source [5]} Was credited as executive producer of Toy Story, released in November 1995; Pixar's IPO followed on November 28, 1995.^{Source [2]}^{Source [5]} Sold Pixar to Disney in an all-stock deal completed May 5, 2006, and joined Disney's board.^{Source [10]}^{Source [16]} Suggest a correction to Pixar Animation Studios	2006	Chairman and CEO^{Source [14]}^{Source [10]}	Acquired
NeXT Co-founded NeXT in 1985 after leaving Apple and led it as chairman and CEO until Apple acquired it in February 1997.^{Source [14]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [1]} Introduced the NeXT Computer and its NeXTSTEP software in 1988.^{Source [4]}^{Source [17]} Led the company until Apple bought it in February 1997 for a total purchase price of $427 million.^{Source [3]}^{Source [14]} NeXTSTEP became the foundation of Mac OS X and Cocoa, which first shipped in March 2001.^{Source [4]} Suggest a correction to NeXT	1985 to 1997	Co-founder^{Source [14]}^{Source [6]}Chairman and CEO^{Source [14]}^{Source [6]}	Acquired

Company

Years

Role

Status

Apple

Co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976 and resigned in September 1985 after the board sided with CEO John Sculley. He returned through Apple's February 1997 acquisition of NeXT, was named interim CEO on September 16, 1997, later served as CEO, and resigned as CEO on August 24, 2011, when he was elected chairman. Apple's board announced his death on October 5, 2011.^{Source [1]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [11]}^{Source [12]}

Introduced the first Macintosh at Apple's shareholder meeting on January 24, 1984.^{Source [1]}
Returned through Apple's February 1997 acquisition of NeXT and was named interim CEO in September 1997.^{Source [3]}^{Source [1]}
Introduced iPod on October 23, 2001.^{Source [7]}
Introduced iPhone at Macworld on January 9, 2007.^{Source [8]}
Introduced iPad on January 27, 2010.^{Source [9]}

Suggest a correction to Apple

1976 to 2011

Co-founder^{Source [1]}^{Source [14]}^{Source [15]}Director^{Source [14]}^{Source [12]}Interim CEO^{Source [3]}^{Source [14]}^{Source [15]}CEO^{Source [6]}^{Source [11]}^{Source [15]}Chairman of the Board^{Source [11]}^{Source [12]}

IPO

Pixar Animation Studios

Bought Lucasfilm's Computer Division in 1986 and set it up as an independent company, Pixar. When Disney completed its all-stock purchase of Pixar in May 2006, he joined Disney's board as a non-independent director; the deal made him Disney's largest shareholder.^{Source [5]}^{Source [10]}^{Source [16]}^{Source [15]}

Bought Lucasfilm's Computer Division in 1986, when about 40 people worked there, and established it as the independent company Pixar.^{Source [5]}
Was credited as executive producer of Toy Story, released in November 1995; Pixar's IPO followed on November 28, 1995.^{Source [2]}^{Source [5]}
Sold Pixar to Disney in an all-stock deal completed May 5, 2006, and joined Disney's board.^{Source [10]}^{Source [16]}

Suggest a correction to Pixar Animation Studios

2006

Chairman and CEO^{Source [14]}^{Source [10]}

Acquired

Co-founded NeXT in 1985 after leaving Apple and led it as chairman and CEO until Apple acquired it in February 1997.^{Source [14]}^{Source [3]}^{Source [1]}

Introduced the NeXT Computer and its NeXTSTEP software in 1988.^{Source [4]}^{Source [17]}
Led the company until Apple bought it in February 1997 for a total purchase price of $427 million.^{Source [3]}^{Source [14]}
NeXTSTEP became the foundation of Mac OS X and Cocoa, which first shipped in March 2001.^{Source [4]}

Suggest a correction to NeXT

1985 to 1997

Co-founder^{Source [14]}^{Source [6]}Chairman and CEO^{Source [14]}^{Source [6]}

Acquired

Milestones

2011-08Resigned as Apple CEO and was elected chairman of the board; Tim Cook became CEO.^{Source [11]}
2010-01Introduced iPad.^{Source [9]}
2007-01Introduced iPhone at Macworld San Francisco.^{Source [8]}
2006-05Disney completed its purchase of Pixar; Jobs joined Disney's board.^{Source [10]}
2001-10Introduced iPod.^{Source [7]}
2000Named Apple's CEO after serving on an interim basis.^{Source [6]}^{Source [2]}
1997-09Named Apple's interim CEO.^{Source [3]}
1997-02Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back to the company.^{Source [3]}^{Source [1]}
1995-11Pixar released Toy Story and went public.^{Source [5]}
1988Introduced the NeXT Computer.^{Source [4]}^{Source [17]}
1986Bought Lucasfilm's Computer Division and established Pixar.^{Source [5]}
1985-09Resigned from Apple and went on to found NeXT.^{Source [1]}^{Source [2]}
1984-01Introduced the Macintosh.^{Source [1]}
1980Apple went public at $22 a share.^{Source [1]}
1976-04Co-founded Apple Computer Co. with Steve Wozniak.^{Source [1]}^{Source [18]}

Boards, investments and other roles

Organization	Role	Years
The Walt Disney CompanyBoard	Board member^{Source [10]}^{Source [2]}	2006 to 2011

Education

Reed College, No degree (left after enrolling in 1972) 1972^{Source [2]}^{Source [15]}

Honors

Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumous) 2022^{Source [13]}
Disney Legend (posthumous) 2013^{Source [2]}
National Medal of Technology (with Steve Wozniak) 1985^{Source [19]}

Sources

Apple turns 50: A look back its journey from garage startup to tech titan, The Associated Press via NBC Bay Area, 2026-04-01. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Steve Jobs, Disney Legend (inducted 2013), D23 / The Walt Disney Company. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple Computer, Inc. Form 10-K for fiscal year 1997, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 1997-12-05. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
The Deep History of Your Apps: Steve Jobs, NeXTSTEP, and Early Object-Oriented Programming, Computer History Museum, 2016-03-15. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Our Story, Pixar. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple Computer, Inc. Proxy Statement (DEF 14A) for 2000 annual meeting, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 2000-03-06. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple Presents iPod, Apple, 2001-10-23. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple Reinvents the Phone with iPhone, Apple, 2007-01-09. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple Launches iPad, Apple, 2010-01-27. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Disney Completes Pixar Acquisition, The Walt Disney Company, 2006-05-05. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple, Apple, 2011-08-24. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Statement by Apple's Board of Directors, Apple, 2011-10-05. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, The White House (archived), 2022-07-01. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple Computer, Inc. Proxy Statement (DEF 14A) for 1998 annual meeting, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 1998-03-16. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Steve Jobs, Wikipedia. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Disney buying Pixar for $7.4 billion, The Associated Press via NBC News, 2006-01-24. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
NeXT, Wikipedia. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
Apple to celebrate 50 years of thinking different, Apple, 2026-03-12. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.
1985 Laureates, National Medal of Technology and Innovation, USPTO. Accessed Oct 2, 2026.

History

Sep 28, 2026: Profile created from public sources (Founded editors)
Oct 2, 2026: Enriched profile (v2): about, education, roles, milestones, awards, links (Founded editors)

Compiled by Founded editors from the cited public sources. Editorial policy / Request removal