Jobs' Twisted Return: Power Struggle, Acquisition, and Revolution

Steve Jobs' tumultuous relationship with Apple is marked by two pivotal events that occurred on the same day, September 16th. In 1985, Jobs left the company he co-founded after a long power struggle with CEO John Sculley, whom he had brought to Apple from PepsiCo. This departure was a result of a dispute over control of the company, which culminated in Jobs' division management for the Macintosh being withdrawn.

Jobs sold a significant portion of his shares before leaving, worth over $21 million at the time, and went on to found NeXT. Although NeXT didn't achieve commercial success, its software would later become crucial for Apple's future development. In 1996, Apple acquired NeXT for approximately $400 million, with the primary goal being to obtain NeXT's Unix-based software.

The acquisition marked Jobs' return to Apple at a time when the company was facing severe financial difficulties. Shortly after his arrival, CEO Gil Amelio resigned, and Jobs initially stated that he only wanted to help find new leadership. However, he eventually took on the role of interim CEO himself, adopting the title 'iCEO', which seems symbolic in hindsight given the success of Apple's 'i' branded products.

Under Jobs' guidance, Apple underwent a significant transformation, simplifying its product offerings and introducing revolutionary devices such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The company's fortunes were completely turned around, transforming it into one of the world's leading technology companies. This remarkable turnaround is all the more notable given that two opposite chapters in this story began on the same day.