In
the late 1970s, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak engineered one of the first commercially
successful lines of personal computers, the Apple 2 series. Jobs was among the first to see the
commercial potential of Xerox PARC's mouse-driven graphical
user interface, which led to the creation of the Apple Lisa and, one year later, the Macintosh. By introducing the LaserWriter he enabled a revolution called desktop publishing.
After
losing a power struggle with the board of directors in 1985, Jobs left Apple
and founded NeXT, a computer platform development company specializing in the
higher-education and business markets. In 1986, he acquired the computer
graphics division of Lucasfilm, which was spun off as Pixar. He was credited in Toy Story (1995) as an executive producer. He served as
CEO and 50.1% majority shareholder until Disney bought Pixar in 2006. Jobs received 7% of Disney shares, and
joined the Board of Directors as the largest individual shareholder.
In
2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreas neuroendocrine tumor. Though it was initially treated, he reported
a hormone imbalance, underwent a liver transplant in 2009, and appeared
progressively thinner as his health declined. On medical leave for most of 2011, Jobs
resigned in August that year, and was elected Chairman of the Board. He died of
respiratory arrest related to his metastatic tumor on October 5, 2011.
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