January 8, 2026
Saint, sinner, or just... Steve?
Steve Jobs was "a truly rotten person" (2018)
Steve Jobs slammed as “truly rotten” — fans, foes, and meme lords go to war
TLDR: Lisa Brennan‑Jobs’ memoir casts Steve Jobs as a harsh, neglectful parent and partner. Commenters spar over whether criticizing a dead legend matters, compare him favorably to today’s CEOs, and debate genius versus decency, with jokes about future tech‑family tell‑alls keeping the drama hot.
Lisa Brennan‑Jobs’ memoir Small Fry paints her dad, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, as cold and cruel — from denying paternity and delaying child support until right before Apple’s big payday to forbidding teenage Lisa from seeing her mom and the haunting line, “We’re cold people.” It’s raw, messy, and personal. But the real fireworks? The comments section.
One camp rolls its eyes at digging up a dead icon, asking, “What’s the point now?” Another swings the spotlight to today’s tech bosses, with a wild hot take that Jobs looks like a saint compared to the Mao‑style harm they’re allegedly doing by policy. Then there’s the spicy parenting debate: a bold commenter argues having kids derails single‑minded genius, igniting a clash over whether great founders must be bad parents or if that’s just convenient myth‑making. Dark speculation bubbles up too: did Jobs’ domineering personality help keep him on quack cancer remedies?
And because the internet never misses a punchline, jokers cue up the sequel: “Can’t wait for Linus’ kids’ stories.” The vibe is part therapy session, part courtroom, part roast. The community isn’t just revisiting Apple lore — it’s wrestling with the bigger question: Can you worship the product and still condemn the person?
Key Points
- •Lisa Brennan-Jobs’ memoir “Small Fry” presents detailed accounts of Steve Jobs’ treatment of his daughter and family.
- •Jobs initially denied paternity of Lisa Brennan-Jobs and paid child support only after a DNA test and court order.
- •Brennan-Jobs and her mother lived in poverty prior to child support, relying on welfare, low wages, and charity.
- •Jobs denied for years that Apple’s Lisa computer was named after his daughter, later acknowledging it; he closed the child support case days before Apple’s IPO.
- •Reported incidents include Jobs rarely seeing Lisa in early childhood, teasing her about sexual matters at age nine, and forbidding contact with her mother for six months; Laurene Powell Jobs said “We’re cold people.”