Omar Bennett
Steve Jobs was a world-improver and a creative genius who changed the world with his innovative products and services. Despite his immense influence and success, Jobs appeared to believe that government was not the primary vehicle for positive change. Under his leadership, Apple notably avoided the political games of campaign contributions and lobbying, and Jobs himself did not seem to publicly support or donate to any political campaigns. Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a prominent philanthropist and donor to Democratic Party politicians, and has founded several organisations to improve education and high school graduation rates for underserved students.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political beliefs | Steve Jobs did not seem to believe that government was the path to world improvement |
| Political donations | Apple avoided campaign contributions and spent less on lobbying than its competitors |
| Political action committees | Apple never formed a political action committee |
| Political affiliations | None explicitly stated; his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a major donor to the Democratic Party |
| Political awards | Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 |
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What You'll Learn
- Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a major donor to the Democratic Party
- Apple avoided campaign contributions and lobbying under Jobs
- Jobs believed in improving the world through creativity, not politics
- In 2005, Jobs criticised Apple's poor recycling programs in the US
- California Governor Jerry Brown declared October 16, 2011, Steve Jobs Day
Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a major donor to the Democratic Party
While Steve Jobs himself did not seem to believe that government was the path to world improvement, his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a major donor to the Democratic Party. Laurene is an American billionaire businesswoman, executive, and philanthropist. She founded the Emerson Collective and College Track, nonprofits that support low-income students and social entrepreneurs and organizations working in education and immigration reform, social justice, media, journalism, and conservation. She also sits on the board of trustees of Stanford University, her alma mater, and is an investor and board director for several other companies.
Laurene has been identified as a top influencer in American politics, which means she helps get candidates elected, puts through policy proposals, causes ideological changes, and affects popular perceptions. In 2012, she gave the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee $30,800. In 2014, she contributed $500,000 to the Senate Majority PAC, $32,400 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and $25,000 to the pro-Hillary Clinton Super PAC, Ready PAC. In 2016, she donated $2 million to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and raised another $4 million for her. In 2015, she was identified as a top influencer by state and across the country by Ballotpedia. That same year, she pledged $50 million to XQ: The Super School Project, a project to rethink and reform education.
Laurene's philanthropy has been described as having limited "transparency and accountability." In 2019, she was designated the "Least Transparent Mega-Giver" by Inside Philanthropy. However, she has also been recognized for her contributions, being named to Forbes' World's Billionaire List in 2016 with a net worth of $17.9 billion. In 2022, her late husband Steve Jobs was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Apple avoided campaign contributions and lobbying under Jobs
Steve Jobs, who passed away in 2011, was a world improver who did not believe that government was the path to improvement. Under Jobs, Apple largely avoided the games of campaign contributions and lobbying. Despite being a $100-billion-a-year company in a rapidly changing industry, Apple never formed a political action committee (PAC). Apple also spent less on lobbying than its competitors.
Apple engages in policy discussions that matter to its business and customers, including privacy, intellectual property, and the environment. Apple's government affairs group engages with government officials and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition to advocacy by Apple employees, the company retains outside consultants to support its engagement with government officials and policymakers. Apple complies with all lobbying regulations and reports all expenditures in its federal disclosure reports.
Apple does not make political contributions to individual candidates or parties, and it does not allow its trade association dues to be used for political contributions. The company does not operate a political action committee, and it carefully manages its engagement in the public policy process. All public policy expenditures are reported to the Apple Board of Directors and reviewed annually by the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board.
While Jobs himself has been a prolific campaign donor, contributing $253,700 to federal candidates and committees between 1996 and 2006, with 100% of that sum benefiting Democrats, Apple has maintained a policy of avoiding campaign contributions and lobbying under his leadership.
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Jobs believed in improving the world through creativity, not politics
Steve Jobs was a firm believer in changing the world through creativity and not politics. Despite being the co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc., a $100-billion-a-year company, Jobs kept Apple out of the political arena. Apple never formed a political action committee, and the company spent less on lobbying than its competitors.
Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a major donor to Democratic Party politicians and has been described as a "major-giver" by Inside Philanthropy. She is a philanthropist and businesswoman who co-founded Terravera, a natural foods company, and College Track, a nonprofit organization that helps underserved students improve their high school graduation and college enrollment and graduation rates. Powell Jobs also sits on the board of directors of Conservation International and Stanford University and is a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council.
In contrast, Jobs himself was not known to support any political campaigns, and Apple avoided the usual games of campaign contributions and lobbying. This stance took determination, as Washington lobbyists actively try to spark lobbying campaigns, warning executives of consequences if they don't comply.
While Jobs didn't use politics as a tool for change, he did work closely with designer Jony Ive to develop products with cultural impact, such as the iMac, iTunes, iPhone, and iPad. He also responded to criticism of Apple's poor recycling programs by expanding these programs to include free take-back services and environmentally friendly disposal options.
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In 2005, Jobs criticised Apple's poor recycling programs in the US
Steve Jobs was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was also the founder of NeXT and the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar. He was a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with his early business partner and fellow Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak.
In 2005, Jobs criticised Apple's poor recycling programs for e-waste in the US at the company's annual meeting in Cupertino in April. In response, environmental and other advocates flew a banner over Stanford University, where Jobs was the commencement speaker, that read: "Steve, don't be a mini-player—recycle all e-waste".
Jobs' criticism of Apple's recycling programs in 2005 was not an isolated incident. In 2006, he expanded the company's recycling efforts to include any US customer who purchased a new Mac. This program included shipping and the "environmentally friendly disposal" of old systems. Additionally, Jobs spoke of the company's desire to become greener in 2007.
Despite these efforts, Apple has continued to face criticism for its environmental practices. In 2012, Greenpeace ranked Apple sixth out of sixteen companies in terms of their progression toward greener products and waste management. Apple lost points due to a lack of transparency on GHG emission reporting, clean energy advocacy, management of toxic chemicals, and details on post-consumer recycled plastic use.
While Jobs played a significant role in shaping Apple's recycling and environmental initiatives, he did not actively support or contribute to political campaigns. Apple, under Jobs, largely avoided campaign contributions and lobbying. Jobs' belief in improving the world did not seem to align with government-led initiatives, and he maintained privacy regarding his charitable actions.
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California Governor Jerry Brown declared October 16, 2011, Steve Jobs Day
Steve Jobs was a world-improver, but he didn't seem to believe that government was the path to achieving this. Compared to his competitors, he didn't try to change the world through politics. Under Jobs, Apple avoided the games of campaign contributions and lobbying. In fact, Apple spent less on lobbying than its competitors and never formed a political action committee.
However, on October 16, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown declared the day to be "Steve Jobs Day". The state of California celebrated the day as a memorial to the tech leader, who was a native Californian. An invitation-only memorial was held at Stanford University, with attendees including Apple and other tech company executives, members of the media, celebrities, politicians, and family and close friends of Jobs. Bono, Yo-Yo Ma, and Joan Baez performed at the service, and each attendee received a small brown box containing a copy of the 'Autobiography of a Yogi' by Paramahansa Yogananda as a "farewell gift" from Jobs.
Governor Brown's decision to dedicate a day to Jobs was a testament to the impact he had on California and the world. In his proclamation, Brown described Jobs as a ""uniquely Californian visionary", who "epitomised the spirit of a state that an eager world watches to see what will come next". Jobs' innovations transformed an industry and changed the way the world communicates.
The declaration of "Steve Jobs Day" by Governor Brown was a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of a man who improved the world through his creativity and will, rather than through politics.
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Frequently asked questions
Unlike many of his peers, Steve Jobs did not believe that politics was the way to change the world. Under his leadership, Apple avoided campaign contributions and lobbying.
Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is a major donor to Democratic Party politicians. She is also a philanthropist and has founded several organisations to improve high school graduation, college enrollment, and college graduation rates for "underserved" students.
Yes, California Governor Jerry Brown declared October 16, 2011, to be "Steve Jobs Day". In 2022, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Yes, in 2005, Jobs faced criticism from environmental advocates for Apple's poor recycling programs for e-waste in the US. The Computer TakeBack Campaign responded by flying a banner over Stanford University that read, "Steve, don't be a mini-player—recycle all e-waste".
