The US Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday released a 191-page file on Steve Jobs that paints an occasionally unflattering portrait of the late Apple founder. The report was compiled during a 1991 background investigation of Jobs by the FBI after former president George H.W. Bush recommended his appointment to the President's Export Council.
It consists of interviews with co-workers, friends, family members and even neighbours of Jobs, who died on October 5 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. The names of the persons interviewed by the FBI have been redacted from the file released following a Freedom of Information Act request by The Wall Street Journal although their places of employment are frequently identified.
The FBI also interviewed Jobs for the background check - after first being told he would be unavailable for three weeks and could only spare an hour. Jobs told the FBI he had not used any illegal drugs during the past five years but he had experimented with marijuana, hashish and LSD between 1970-74 while in high school and college. The report notes that Jobs had been involved in several lawsuits as chief executive of Apple but had never been arrested and was not a member of the communist party.
Jobs, who had left Apple at the time of the background check and was head of NeXT Computer, was described by some of those interviewed as "strongwilled, stubborn, hardworking and driven," the report said, even a "genius." "They further stated, however that Mr Jobs possesses integrity as long as he gets his way," the report said. "Several individuals questioned Mr Jobs' honesty stating that Mr Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals," it said.
"Appointee is very truthful and straightforwards with people and usually says exactly what he is thinking," it added. The report also delved into Jobs's relationship with his former girlfriend and their daughter. "In the past, Mr Jobs was not supportive of (the mother of his child born out of wedlock) and their daughter: however, recently has become more supportive," it said.
Jobs, in a recent authorised biography by Walter Isaacson, acknowledged both his drug use and that he had not initially been close to his daughter. One woman interviewed by the FBI said Job's personal life was "lacking due to his narcissism and shallowness" but he has "far reaching vision."
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