Steve Jobs (1955–2011) was an American entrepreneur and inventor who co-founded Apple Inc. and helped create some of the most influential technology products of the modern era, including the Macintosh computer, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad.

Jobs didn't invent computers or phones, but he had an extraordinary ability to imagine how technology could be simpler, more beautiful, and more useful in everyday life. Before the iPhone, most phones had dozens of buttons and complicated menus. Jobs insisted that a phone could work with just a touchscreen and a few simple gestures, making powerful technology feel natural and intuitive.

He was known for his intense focus on design and his refusal to compromise. He would sometimes reject a product dozens of times until every detail felt right, believing that great products required both excellent engineering and thoughtful design. This perfectionism could make him difficult to work with, but it also helped lead to products that changed how billions of people communicate, listen to music, and use computers.

Jobs dropped out of college but continued auditing classes that interested him, including calligraphy, which later influenced the typography in Apple's computers. He started Apple in his parents' garage in 1976 with his friend Steve Wozniak. After being forced out of Apple in 1985, he returned in 1997 when the company was struggling and led it to become one of the most valuable companies in the world.