Steve Jobs once said, “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” Some would argue that Steve Jobs’ life was not significant in the betterment of society (referring to the apparent lack of his charitable efforts), while others would say he was a visionary genius who redefined generations.
To discuss the importance of Jobs’ life to other people would not be fair, because everyone’s life is important. Each person’s life is just more important to certain people. So, how important is Jobs’ life to the world?
His passing was announced on Wednesday, Oct. 5 by Apple Inc., the company he co-founded with Steve Wozniak. Jobs died at about 3 p.m. that day. The coroner listed respiratory arrest as the immediate cause of death, with pancreatic cancer as the underlying cause. His life will mostly be remembered for his creation of Pixar and as the driving force behind Apple Inc.
Being the entrepreneur who created those products gives new meaning to communication, which, in turn, positively affects the lives of others.
By using an iPhone, for example, the user can call for help, look up and share documents, pictures, and texts to help someone get through their rough day. They can give joy to the person using it through any of the various apps that can be downloaded.
Steve Jobs has helped millions through the creation of his Apple products by allowing them to listen to music, hear their mother’s voice over the phone or watch a movie on demand.
Another thing that people argue is that Steve Jobs’ life didn’t make a difference philanthropically, and they usually compare Jobs to Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. First, you can never determine how important someone’s life is by comparing them to others in the world. If I compared how much I donated to charity compared to Gates or Buffet, I too would be looked down upon.
Jobs may not be widely known for his involvement in philanthropic causes, but he said he did charitable acts privately. People often criticize him for eliminating all corporate philanthropy programs, after resuming control of Apple in 1997.
However, later, under Jobs, Apple signed to participate in the Product Red program, producing red versions of devices to give profits from sales to charity. Since then, Apple has become the single largest contributor. One great thing about creating products that benefit charity is that Jobs, although he personally didn’t donate his money to charity, gave power to the people to make a conscious decision to buy a Red product and have the profits go to charity.
Jobs’ life, although short, touched millions of lives worldwide through his philanthropic efforts, his creation of animated films with his company Pixar and through the numerous Apple products.
Jobs did do something wonderful with his life—he gave millions happiness. His life should never be compared to others, because every person has the ability to make a positive change in the world. It just matters how they decide to do it.
As you finish reading this, ask yourself, “Have I done something wonderful today?”
Dustin Paluch is a junior in the John Cook School of Business.