StevenPaul"Steve"Jobs(bornFebruary24,1955)isanAmericanbusinessman,andtheco-founderandchiefexecutiveofficerofAppleInc.JobspreviouslyservedasCEOofPixarAnimationStudiosandisnowamemberoftheWaltDisneyCompany'sBoardofDirectors.

　　Inthelate1970s,Jobs,withAppleco-founderSteveWozniak,MikeMarkkulaandothers,designed,developed,andmarketedsomeofthefirstcommerciallysuccessfullinesofpersonalcomputers,theAppleIIseriesandlater,theMacintosh.Intheearly1980s,Jobswasamongthefirsttoseethecommercialpotentialofthemouse-drivengraphicaluserinterface.Afterlosingapowerstrugglewiththeboardofdirectorsin1985,JobsresignedfromAppleandfoundedNeXT,acomputerplatformdevelopmentcompanyspecializinginthehighereducationandbusinessmarkets.NeXT'ssubsequent1997buyoutbyAppleComputerInc.broughtJobsbacktothecompanyheco-founded,andhehasservedasitsCEOsincethen.

　　In1986,heacquiredthecomputergraphicsdivisionofLucasfilmLtdwhichwasspunoffasPixarAnimationStudios.HeremainedCEOandmajorityshareholderuntilitsacquisitionbytheWaltDisneyCompanyin2006.JobsiscurrentlyamemberofWaltDisneyCompany'sBoardofDirectors.

　　Jobs'historyinbusinesshascontributedmuchtothesymbolicimageoftheidiosyncratic,individualisticSiliconValleyentrepreneur,emphasizingtheimportanceofdesignandunderstandingthecrucialroleaestheticsplayinpublicappeal.Hisworkdrivingforwardthedevelopmentofproductsthatarebothfunctionalandeleganthasearnedhimadevotedfollowing.

　　Beginninginmid-January2009,Jobstookafive-monthleaveofabsencefromAppletoundergoalivertransplant.JobsofficiallyresumedhisroleasCEOofAppleonJune29,2009.