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September 21, 2007

steve_jobs

Forbes rates Jobs 56th top billionaire, gets into shouting match with Fortune

Posted Sep. 21, ’07, 10:13 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Steve Jobs

Thoughtful JobsWe get it, Forbes. You like making lists. Perhaps even checking them twice (you filthy, filthy people). But didn’t we just have a list of the world’s billionaires back in March? Ohhh, that was Fortune, who ranked Jobs at 132nd. Well, surely Forbes can’t have come out that different.

#56 Steven Jobs
Net Worth: $5.7 billion
Hailed as “igod” on magazine cover for advent of iPhone—slickest, most-hyped gadget ever. Black-clad digi-god suddenly a Dark Angel falling to earth. His creation sells a million units in 10 weeks at $600; instant $200 price cut riles disciples. Gets Tinseltown takedown when he tries to muscle Hollywood as he did music biz; NBC Universal pulls shows from iTunes. Result: iFlop for Apple TV. Specter of options backdating still hangs; SEC stops at CFO, new ex-pal Fred Anderson—who blames Jobs. New novel by “FakeSteve” (a FORBES writer) depicts him as narcissistic jerk. Options due in October. Adopted by working-class couple, drops out of Reed College, founds Apple in proverbial garage. Fired 1985. Best revenge: One year later he buys Pixar graphics startup from Star Wars creator George Lucas (see) for $10 million. Sells it to Disney 20 years later for $7.4 billion—with a “B”—thanks to heavenly hit list (Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles). In interim had second coming at Apple 1996. Now Mickey’s largest individual holder, 6.7% stake worth $4.6 billion—6 times more than the value of his 0.6% bite of Apple. Never mind the setbacks. Still coolest tech superstar ever.
#56, eh? Not too shabby. Of course, that’s probably in part because Forbes has raised their bar to $1.3 billion for inclusion on the list. It’s exclusive, you see, and that last $300 million really makes all the difference.

Despite his connections within Forbes, Fake Steve did not make the list of billionaires. He was last seen muttering “frigtard” and wandering around in downtown Cupertino, looking for a handout.

[via The Mac Observer]


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