Steve Jobs
Business Leader1 list appearance
Secondary Education: Attended Cupertino Junior High and Homestead High School in Cupertino, California (graduated 1972). Spent after-school hours attending lectures at Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, where he boldly phoned CEO Bill Hewlett at home to ask for spare electronics parts, securing a summer internship. Reed College (Portland, Oregon, 1972): Enrolled at expensive private liberal arts college Reed College. Dropped out after one semester (six months) to save his adoptive parents' modest savings, but remained on campus for 18 months sleeping on dorm floors and auditing creative courses. Formative Calligraphy Class: Dropped in on a calligraphy course taught by Trappist monk Robert Palladino. Jobs studied serif and sans-serif typefaces, variable letter spacing, and page aesthetics—knowledge that directly inspired the typographic engine and proportional fonts of the 1984 Macintosh, making it the first personal computer with beautiful typography. Apple Computer Founding & The GUI Revolution (1976–1985): Partnered with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to incorporate Apple Computer on 3 January 1977. Commercialized the Apple II (1977), taking Apple public in 1980 with an IPO creating 300 instant millionaires. After touring Xerox PARC in December 1979 and witnessing the graphical user interface and mouse, initiated the Macintosh project. Launched the Macintosh 128K on 24 January 1984 with the Ridley Scott '1984' Super Bowl commercial. Ousted in May 1985 by CEO John Sculley.
1-Tap Primary Ranking Ballot
Overview#4 Full List
Does Steve Jobs deserve the #4 spot on “Top 10 Tech Billionaires Who Dropped Out and Won”?
#4 Steve Jobs?
Verified Entity DossierRanked #4 in Top 10 Tech Billionaires Who Dropped Out and Won
Community Weigh-In & Debate
Should Steve Jobs rank higher than #4 in Tech Billionaires Who Dropped Out and Won?
Ranked #4 on "Top 10 Tech Billionaires Who Dropped Out and Won". Cast your vote to back or challenge this spot.
Be the first to vote on this ranking.
Structured Facts & Specifications
Verified highlightsBirth Date Death Date
24 February 1955 – 5 October 2011 (Died age 56 of metastatic neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer)
apple.comOfficial apple.com ↗
Peak Net Worth
$10.2 Billion at time of death (October 2011; inherited by widow Laurene Powell Jobs)
forbes.comOfficial forbes.com ↗
Primary Wealth Source
Disney stock (138 million shares, 7.7% of Disney, received via Pixar sale) & Apple stock
sec.govOfficial Regulatory Filing ↗
Birthplace
San Francisco, California, USA
sfgov.orgOfficial sfgov.org ↗
Nationality
American
computerhistory.orgOfficial computerhistory.org ↗
Category
technologist, industrial designer & corporate visionary
Full Legal Name
Steven Paul Jobs
Official Website
Birth Date & Death Date
24 February 1955 – 5 October 2011 (Died age 56 of metastatic neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer)
Appears in 1 lists
Frequently Ranked Alongside Steve Jobs
More People Lists
6
Top 10 Most Controversial Business Leaders of the Modern Era (Ranked)
10 items
Top 10 Billionaires Who Built Empires from Nothing — Their Shocking Rise
10 items
Top 10 CEOs Making the Most Money in 2026
10 items
Top 10 Most Powerful Tech CEOs of 2026 — The People Reshaping Civilization
10 items
Top 10 Richest People in the World 2026
10 items
Mukesh Ambani vs. Gautam Adani? Top 10 Richest People in India 2026
10 items