Steve Jobs was a complex and multi-faceted individual whose personality significantly influenced his success and the culture of Apple. While celebrated for his visionary leadership, he exhibited traits often associated with narcissism. Known for being abrasive and confrontational, Jobs demanded the highest standards and was meticulous about details, especially regarding design. Jobs often disregarded others’ opinions and had an inflated sense of his genius.
According to the Apple co-founder biography written by Walter Isaacson, he hated the design of his best friend Larry Ellison’s $160 million superyacht so much that he went on to pen his own perfect vessel.
However, there was one particular thing owned by Ellison that Jobs envied a lot and wanted an almost identical version of it. We are talking about the Oracle founder’s private jet, which he used for high-level meetings and leisure getaways. Not ready to be outdone by his own closest friend, Jobs got himself a jet nearly identical to that of Ellison’s, except for one interesting detail. But before we discuss that, it’s important to talk about how the ultra-luxurious Gulfstream V jet came into his life.
Steve Jobs famously took a $1 annual salary during his time as CEO of Apple after his return in 1997. He wanted to demonstrate his total commitment to turning Apple around, especially when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Faced with the challenge of making Apple profitable again, Jobs became the architect of one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in history.
He not only saved the company from imminent collapse but set the course for Apple to become the most valuable brand in the world. The company’s board was grateful and wanted to reward Jobs handsomely for his contribution. While he continued to receive a salary of $1 and was rewarded with 10 million stock options, Jobs asked for a private jet.
An SEC investigation from 2009 revealed that it was a demand put forward by Jobs himself. Ellison was a member of Apple’s Board of Directors in those days. Citing the Oracle CEO, the report states: “he brought up the idea: ‘What I really need is a plane where I can take my family to Hawaii on vacation, go to the East Coast.’ and the board agreed.” Larry reportedly responded to the demand by saying, “With what he’s done, we ought to give him five airplanes!” And that’s how Jobs became the owner of a brand new Gulfstream V worth $45 million.
In the biography, Isaacson writes that Jobs spent more than a year customizing his jet and used Ellison’s plane as a starting point. He not only closely studied the design of his friend’s aircraft but also hired the same designer who had worked on Ellison’s jet. However, there were some things that Jobs didn’t like and wanted them to be changed on his jet. According to Isaacson, this became a headache for the designer, and “it was driving her crazy.”
Ellison’s jet “had a door between cabins with an open button and a close button,” Isaacson writes in the biography. “Jobs insisted that his have a single button that toggled. He didn’t like the polished stainless steel of the buttons, so he had them replaced with brushed metal ones.” While Jobs’ narcissistic behavior was often difficult to tolerate, he was a design genius. “I look at his airplane and mine, and everything he changed was better,” said Ellison.
Jobs’ Gulfstream V was emblematic of his success and attention to quality and detail. Showcasing his taste for minimalism, the aircraft reflected his preference for simplicity and elegance, similar to Apple’s design philosophy. However, it somehow became the inspiration for a design so tacky that Apple employees, as well as loyalists, hated it.
Apparently, the tacky faux leather pattern on the iCal app in iOS and OS X was themed after his jet’s cabin. After Jobs passed away, his wife, Laurene Powell, refused to inherit the aircraft. The Gulfstream V now ferries Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, who kept refusing to use the jet till 2017.
