Apple at 50: Steve Jobs, the first star CEO
Steve Jobs played a pivotal role in Apple's turnaround after returning to the company through the acquisition of his NeXT firm, eventually becoming CEO and transforming Apple into a tech powerhouse. While Gil Amelio facilitated Jobs's return by acquiring NeXT, Jobs reportedly undermined Amelio's leadership, contributing to his ousting. Despite conflicting accounts of his intentions, Jobs's deep connection to Apple's vision cemented his legacy as a transformative and iconic CEO.
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News Apple at 50: Steve Jobs, the first star CEO William Gallagher 0 e-mail BlueSky Mastodon X Facebook Reddit Fri May 01 2026, 07:38 AM EDT · 11 minute read Steve Jobs with the original Macintosh in 1984 - image credit: Apple There's plenty to like, admire, and definitely dislike about Steve Jobs, but he did an incredible job saving Apple, and will forever be treated like a rock star. The greatest thing that Gil Amelio, Apple's fifth CEO, ever did was pave the way for Steve Jobs to become its sixth. It was great for Apple, it was great for users, but it was probably horrible for Amelio himself. That's because what he did was have Apple acquire Steve Jobs's failed NeXT firm. As part of that acquisition he got Jobs as no more than an advisor.
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