Steve Jobs’ FBI file: Bomb threats, drug use, shallowness, average grades

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Steve Jobs was highly recommended by colleagues, friends and neighbours, for a presidential appointment, despite being “deceptive” and “able to twist the truth and distort reality,” according to documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Thursday.

But then “honesty and integrity are not required qualities to hold such a position,” said one person who recommended Jobs for the appointment according to the records.

The 191-page folder on the late Apple co-founder was released under a Freedom of Information Act request from several media outlets.

It was gathered as part of a 1991 background check to determine his suitability for a presidential appointment to George H. W. Bush’s Export Council.

Jobs was granted the position, serving on the council between May 1990 to the end of Bush’s term in May 1993, according to Bloomberg News.

Included in the folder are several interviews with people Jobs knew or worked with, all names redacted.

The interviews reveal two sides to the man who would later develop the iPhone and iPad, achieving a cult-like following for the Apple brand.

One woman paraphrased a quote from a Time article to explain him: “a visionary and charismatic individual who was at the same time shallow and callous to people in his relationships.”

His personal life was lacking, she said, because of his “narcissism and shallowness,” and the power he gained through his success at Apple caused him to “distort the truth to get his way.”

However, she strongly recommended him to the government position, as did all the interviewees.

Another two individuals called him “strong-willed, stubborn, hard-working and driven,” but also said “Mr. Jobs possesses integrity as long as he gets his way.”

Several interviewees also mentioned he was “not supportive” at first of his former girlfriend, Chris Ann Brennan, and daughter born out wedlock, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, though they later reconciled.

Jobs also had no biases or prejudices and lived a rather spartan life despite having more money than he could spend in a lifetime, said several individuals.

The report also notes Jobs’ drug use in his youth. He checked off the box saying he hadn’t used drugs in the last five years, and no interviewees cited any drug use.

But references are included of his high school and college experimentation with marijuana and LSD – activities in keeping with the times, one interviewee said.

There is also some movie-like drama included in the documents.

In 1985, while Jobs was working at Apple, he was threatened by an extortionist who claimed “devices” had been placed in the homes of “certain individuals” unless he got one million dollars. A fourth bomb was also placed in an unspecified location “in case authorities were notified.” The anonymous male caller said a note with further instructions would be left under the table near a candy machine at the San Francisco Hilton hotel.

No note was found and nothing came of the threat, according to the documents.

Other things the folder reveals about Jobs:

He had top secret clearance from the defense industrial security office for two years while working at Pixar.

He had never been a member of the communist party, nor any organization plotting to overthrow the government.

His high school GPA was a mediocre 2.65.

Many thanks to The Star for this story.

About Post Author

Peter Lake

Peter Lake hails from the Midwest, but is now living in Germany. He is a professional writer who spent many years honing his craft at a well known newspaper. Peter originally sent an article to us through the citizen journalist program and decided to stay. We are glad he did.

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