The press is once again buzzing about Apple co-founder and icon Steve Jobs, debating his freshly released secret FBI file. Mentions of drugs, Jobs working for the government and having a “Top Secret” clearance in the past, opinions of employees portraying his as s sort of evil genius, everything in the not-s0-secret-anymore FBI file on Steve Jobs has taken over the Internet.
The FBI file dates back to 1991. It was created as a result of a background check ran when Steve Jobs was appointed to the Presidents Export Council by President George H.W. Bush.
Bad press? Speaking ill of the dead? Maybe. But the more I think of what the information contained by the FBI file released under the Freedom of Information Act, the new details on his personality that seem so newsworthy to all outlets, the more I feel they will actually help build and expand the Steve Jobs and Apple myths. The charismatic antihero, brilliant yet quirky, with a shady past and a business focused mind, Steve Jobs just got more juice to fuel his being an icon and ispiration for generations to come.
In short, the FBI file gives Steve Jobs’ legacy added twists that now portray a brilliant man creating computers, software and gadgets that we cannot live without, respected by most, yet not well-liked, stubborn and very demanding. Add to that a James Bond past that people will imagine after finding out he had high-level security clearance, the drugs and rock’n'roll air, the shady yet juicy details on his personal life and you’ll no longer have to wonder why we all love to adore or hate Steve Jobs. Yes, there will be plenty who will comment on his “tendency to distort reality in order to achieve his goals,” but the end result will still be more people talking about him and the company he is still so tightly associated with, Apple.
For the most curious ones of us, the entire document has already been posted on several websites, including the Washington Post. Regardless of where you choose follow the story, newspapers, blogs, social media channels, Steve Jobs is once again taking all the spotlight and directing it to his work and the company he helped build. Even after his death, he still has the clout and big stories to tell to grab all of our attention. Very interesting PR stunt, unplanned but highly effective!
About Alina Popescu
