What is Steve Jobs doing hiding two Porsche 911 Turbos worth hundreds of thousands of dollars behind his desk? That’s what NeXT colleagues thought when one day, in the 1980s, Jobs was preparing a very important visit at his seat.
Steve Jobs is known for his genius (and yes, his madness). But there’s a lesser-known story that perfectly illustrates how he controlled every situation when doing business: the time it took Steve Jobs to hide two Porsche 911 Turbo to strike a crucial deal.
Steve Jobs was looking for investors for NeXT
It was the 1980s and Steve Jobs had just been fired from Apple. Yes, from your own business. Vengeance or Survival created the company NeXTa new company that needed investors to create the future of computing. This is where the charisma of Jobs turned against Ross PerotAmerican politician and businessman.
In the NeXT offices, Steve had a colleague with whom he worked very closely. His name was Randy Adams and he also owned a Porsche 911 Turbo. They both decided Park your cars together to prevent other vehicles from damaging them. Porsche next to Porsche. They took up no less than three parking spaces at the NeXT office. They weren’t exactly discreet.
“Randy, we have to hide the Porsches”
One day, Jobs burst into Randy Adams’ office and said, “Randy, we need to hide the Porsches.” » “Why?” asked Adams. “Ross Perot is coming to see us and I don’t want him to think we have that much money.” So, with a single gesture, They took their luxurious vehicles to the back of the offices of NeXT in Palo Alto, California.
This maneuver was essential to create an impression of modesty in front of the investor. The result was a great success: Ross Perot invested $20 million in the company in 1987. This investment gave them the money to build NeXT, as well as give Ross Perot a seat on the board of directors.
The fate of NeXT and the triumphant return of Jobs
In an unexpected (or very well planned by Jobs) twist, Apple bought NeXT in 1996 for 429 million of dollars. This acquisition was a pivotal moment for Apple and for Steve Jobs, as Apple was struggling to develop a new, modern operating system. The purchase of NeXT provided Apple with the NeXTSTEP operating systemwhich became the basis of macOS.
Initially, Steve Jobs returned to Apple as an “advisor” to then-CEO Gil Amelio. But within months, Jobs managed to become interim CEO, then permanent CEO in 2000.
From now on, this is the story we all know: with the return of Steve Jobs, Apple radically transformed with the launch of the new Macs, iPod, iPhone and iPad. And without that initial investment (and without the hidden Porsches), Apple’s story would be very different today.
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