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He might have been just 21 years old when he founded the company, but under Steve Jobs, Apple grew to become a leader and an innovator in the global computer, software, and electronics industry. In fact, the company is ranked number 159 on the Fortune 500 annual ranking of America’s largest corporations for 2006, with over $13.9 billion in revenues and almost 20,000 employees. Today, Jobs continues to serve as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Jobs’ relationship with the company he co-founded with Steve Wozniak in 1976 has not always been a smooth one. After the introduction of Apple I, II, the company went public, making Jobs an instant multi-millionaire. But, as the company grew, so too did its need for an experienced executive to help manage its expansion. In 1983, Jobs approached then Pepsi-Cola President John Sculley and offered him the position of Apple CEO. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want to change the world?” Jobs asked Sculley. Sculley immediately crossed over.

Initially, the two had a productive and friendly working relationship. It was under Sculley and Jobs that the wildly successful Macintosh computer – the first with a graphical user interface – was released. So, too, did the company embark on a successful line of advertisements following in the footsteps of George Orwell’s “1984.” However, as industry-wide sales began to plummet towards the end of 1984, the relationship between Sculley and Jobs became strained.

Under Steve Jobs, Apple had introduced three revolutionary personal computers. But, in one fell swoop, at the direction of Sculley, Jobs was relieved of all of his duties as head of the Macintosh division of the company. As a result, Jobs decided to sell all but one of his shares in Apple. While Jobs was the very public face behind the company, few could have predicted what would come next for Apple without him.

Without its original founder at its helm, the company began to suffer, particularly when it came to innovation. Jobs had transformed the company from a niche manufacturer of personal computers to one at the forefront of all that is new and exciting in the consumer electronics industry. So rapid was the company’s deterioration that in 1997, the board of directors decided to bring Jobs back on board. In 2000, he was fully reinstated, moving from Interim CEO to CEO.

Back with his brainchild, Jobs set out to reinvent the company. He redesigned the physical shape and colour of the Apple PC, which immediately began to lift sales. From there, he began to fix the long term direction of Apple. From being a pioneer in the wireless industry, to producing a music player, to launching a web-based music store, Jobs took the risks he needed to put Apple back on track.

It has had its ups and downs, but under Steve Jobs, Apple has managed to get it right enough times than not to come out on top. Though a recent cancer scare has caused many to question his current health, along with that of the entire company, Jobs shows no signs of stepping down anytime soon.

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