Apple co-founder Steve Jobs did serve on White House council in '90s
The U.S. Commerce Department has confirmed that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs did in fact serve on former President George H.W. Bush's Export Council during the 1990s.
Earlier this week, a background file on Jobs surfaced that was compiled by the FBI as he was considered for appointment to the council in 1991. The Associated Press then reported on Friday that his role on the council had been confirmed by the Cabinet department.
The Export Council consists of unpaid members who meet a minimum of twice a year to advise the president on trade policy. Given that the Commerce Department said Jobs served during the first Bush administration, it would appear that he was on the council from 1991 to 1993.
The FBI file in question, a level III background investigation, was interesting to note because it included an unusually high number of derogatory comments for that type of investigation. The names of those interviewed had been redacted, but he was described as being "deceptive" and someone of "questionable" moral character. One interviewee recommended Jobs for the "high level political position" in spite of assertions that he was deceptive because "honesty and integrity are not required qualities to hold such a position."
"Mr. Jobs has integrity as long as he gets his way," another person said.
An FBI agent wrote in an interview summary that Jobs had "alienated a lot to people" at Apple because of his ambition. Jobs had been ousted from Apple in 1985 and was deeply involved with work at NeXT in the early 1990s.
The issue of Jobs' former drug use was also addressed by the FBI during interviews. Several individuals, including Jobs himself, "commented" in interviews on past experimentation during his college years, the file indicates. Jobs would later go on to publicly state that doing LSD was one of the "most important" things he had done in his life.
The documents also revealed that Apple was subject to a bomb threat in February 1985. An unnamed caller claimed to have placed explosives in certain individuals' homes and demanded a million dollars to not detonate them. The case was eventually closed in August 1985.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Steve Jobs final day in the White House.
"'You guys are all morons, I'm outta here!"
Steve Jobs final day in the White House.
I think the actual quote was, ""'You guys are all bozos..."
All those derogatory comments about jobs during the investigation just confirmed his acceptability for involvement in politics, even tangentially.
LOL so true.
One interviewee recommended Jobs for the "high level political position" in spite of assertions that he was deceptive because "honesty and integrity are not required qualities to hold such a position."
LOL so true.
Honesty and integrity appear to be an impediment to success within in the current system. Jobs appears to have been far more honest and possess much higher integrity than his peers.
The famed Reality Distortion Field is a classic for in reality the viewers/listeners had for so long lived in a world of distorted reality so when Jobs spoke truly they could not fully comprehend.
"'You guys are all morons, I'm outta here!"
Steve Jobs final day in the White House.
I can see that being his first day, too.
I wonder what those same people would say about Steve now.
We provided a custom version of NeXTStep for the CIA. Expound upon those implications from there.
That? implies that Steve (and by extension, Apple) is more clandestine than he used to be?
My only thought on this issue is So What? The man is dead. What does it really matter what he did 20 years ago or whenever it was. It is in the past. And frankly I find it a tad pathetic that sites are still clinging to Steve Jobs headlines for page hits.
So the article is beneath you? and yet you read it. And you posted about it.
Okay. Glad we got that sorted out.
Honesty and integrity appear to be an impediment to success within in the current system. Jobs appears to have been far more honest and possess much higher integrity than his peers.
The famed Reality Distortion Field is a classic for in reality the viewers/listeners had for so long lived in a world of distorted reality so when Jobs spoke truly they could not fully comprehend.
Yes. Steve was so much more honest than most people that everybody who knew him best lied about his honesty. That is the only thing that is consistent with my preconceptions.
Yes. Steve was so much more honest than most people that everybody who knew him best lied about his honesty. That is the only thing that is consistent with my preconceptions.
That's not what the other poster said.
Kinda surprised something like this wasn't in the Steve Jobs biography.
I suspect that it means that Jobs didn't think it was important enough to talk about.
That's not what the other poster said.
I suspect that it means that Jobs didn't think it was important enough to talk about.
Jobs did not write the biography. Since the biography held thousands of titbits we all already new, this would have been an interesting unknown chapter. Isaacson also interviewed people to write the biography. He did not write it all based on the interviews with Jobs.
would have to ask Isaacson why this did not seem worthy... or perhaps this information was not released at the time of writting?
He was described as being "deceptive" and someone of "questionable" moral character. One interviewee recommended Jobs for the "high level political position" in spite of assertions that he was deceptive because "honesty and integrity are not required qualities to hold such a position."
That says it all, really. I wouldn't be surprised if Bush personally hand-picked him for the position based on their "mutual qualities".
Interesting how even 20 years ago people who knew him refered to him as being a great visionary. BEFORE the Apple comeback.
He was a visionary in '75. It took his vision to sell the Apple I, to market the Apple II, and to make the Macintosh.
We provided a custom version of NeXTStep for the CIA. Expound upon those implications from there.
Make a copy of NeXTStep on the original 250MB R/W optical disk, stamp it with a red "TEMPEST 2": instant CIA sale. Mind you, NSA would be less than happy.
Cheers