Apple visionary Steve Jobs, who died Wednesday at the age of 56, reportedly began saying his goodbyes in February, four months before he made his final public appearance.
According to the NY Times, after years of fighting cancer, Jobs learned in February that his condition was terminal. What first began as a few dozen people wanting to say their goodbyes turned into an endless stream of people -- whose calls were mostly handled by his wife, Laurene.
In his final weeks, a frail Jobs became too weak to walk up the stairs in his home, and while most visitors were turned away, Steve met with some of his closest friends and longtime colleagues to bid his final farewells.
He also spoke to his biographer, Walter Isaacson, whose book will be published next month. The author asked the intensely private Jobs why he wanted his life story made public, and Steve replied, "I wanted my kids to know me."
Now that the Apple CEO is gone, his enormous $7-billion empire he leaves behind has the media shifting its attention to his wife. Laurene Powell Jobs, a Stanford grad, founded College Track, a program that provides mentors to disadvantaged students in order to help them earn college degrees. Some are speculating that any large charitable contributions might go to education, although Jobs himself never donated publicly to charity.
A big screen project depicting Jobs' life is already in the works, although it is not certain which Hollywood A-lister will play the lead. According to Deadline, Steve thought "ER's" Noah Wyle did a superb job in a turtleneck, posing as the Apple co-founder in the 1999 docudrama about Jobs and Bill Gates in "Pirates of Silicon Valley."
Jobs' private funeral, which is set for Friday, will reportedly be a small gathering.
Who do you think should play Jobs? Cast your vote!
10 Interesting Facts About Steve Jobs
Apple guru Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco and was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs.The Jobs family later adopted a daughter, Patti.
Steve's Ethnic Background
Steve Jobs' biological father, Abdulfattah John Jandali, was of Syrian descent, and his biological mother, Joanne Schieble (later Simpson), was of German ancestry.Jandai is a political science professor and Schieble a language pathologist.Steve never met his biological dad — who had previously expressed a desire to see his genius son.
Jobs' relationship with Bay Area painter Chrisann Brennan yielded his first daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, born in 1978.Steve initially denied he was the father, claiming he was sterile. The Apple CEO later acknowledged Lisa as his daughter, even naming the Lisa computer (the "Apple III") after his first-born.
Brilliance Runs in the Family
Steve's biological sister, Mona Simpson, is the famous author who penned, "Anywhere But Here" — a novel about Simpson's relationship with her folks.Jobs, who looked for Mona in the '90s, did not meet his sibling until he was an adult.It was reported that Steve learned a lot about his biological parents through his sister.
The Apple chairman was a pescetarian, meaning, he did not eat meat, only fish. His diet also included eggs and dairy.
A Little Company Called Pixar
In 1986, Steve bought The Graphics Group (later renamed Pixar) from Lucasfilm's graphics division for $10 million.Jobs almost went broke with the giant purchase, after years of unsuccessfully trying to sell the Pixar Image Computer.The company struck gold when it partnered with Disney to produce some of the most memorable computer animated films, including "Toy Story," "Monsters," "A Bug's Life" and "Cars."
Steve was a Zen Buddhist and once thought about joining a monastery.Jobs' wedding to wife Laurene Powell was officiated by Zen Buddhist monk Kobun Chino Otogawa.
When Jobs resumed control as Apple's CEO in 1997, he stopped all of its philanthropic programs, saying, "Wait until we are profitable."Even after rising to the top to become a $40-billion company, Apple still doesn't donate to charity.
Fortune magazine once wrote that Jobs was "considered one of Silicon Valley's leading egomaniacs."The tough and demanding Apple boss was known for his aggressive personality and erratic management style.Jobs made Fortune's list of America's Toughest Bosses in 1993.
As the CEO of Apple, Steve earned $1 a year. However, he held on to 5 million Apple shares and 138 million shares in Disney.In 2010, Forbes estimated his net wealth to be $7 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world.
