Chuyện về cha đẻ quả táo
03/09/2011 13:20 Một người đàn ông sắp già, xanh xao, gầy đét. Một gã suốt ngày chẳng biết mặc gì khác ngoài cái áo thun đen cổ lọ và quần jeans xanh. Một doanh nhân chỉ luôn tìm cách moi tiền của người khác… Đó là Steve Jobs - nhân vật đã làm cho cả thế giới phải hoảng loạn chỉ với cái tin ông từ chức giám đốc điều hành Apple.
Ông chủ khó chịu
Chúng ta đang sống giữa thời điểm kinh tế khó khăn, khi mà các lãnh đạo những công ty lớn bị ghét cay ghét đắng vì những mức lương cao ngất ngưởng, vì những chiếc dù vàng vô lý đến khó tin đưa họ hạ cánh an toàn, vì lối sống xa hoa phí phạm của họ… Nhưng Steve Jobs là một ngoại lệ. Cái tin ông thôi chức giám đốc điều hành công ty Apple đã thực sự gây nên một cơn bão trên mạng. "Thế giới đã mất đi một thiên tài", "Steve Jobs là giám đốc điều hành tài ba nhất mọi thời đại", "Thật là một ngày buồn cho ngành công nghệ", "Cầu mong đó không phải là sự thật"… Cả thế giới đã náo loạn hết cả lên. Mà có gì phải náo loạn cơ chứ? Steve Jobs vẫn còn sống sờ sờ ra đó thôi! Ông cũng chẳng đi đâu cả. Trong lá thư từ chức ngắn ngủi của mình, Jobs đã nói rõ ông sẽ ở lại để làm chủ tịch hội đồng quản trị của Apple, tức là chỉ chuyển từ vị trí số 1 sang vị trí số 2. Cái tin này cũng chẳng có gì là bất ngờ. Jobs nghỉ việc vì lý do sức khỏe kém, điều đã được tiên liệu từ nhiều năm trước. Ông đã ba lần bảy lượt nghỉ việc, có lần cả mấy tháng trời để chữa bệnh ung thư tuyến tụy và phẫu thuật thay gan. Trong những quãng thời gian dài đó, Tim Cook, người vừa lên thế Jobs để cầm quân Apple vẫn là quyền giám đốc điều hành và Apple vẫn phát triển mạnh mẽ. Thời gian tới, Jobs sẽ vẫn tiếp tục phối hợp điều hành và tha hồ sáng tạo bên cạnh cộng sự lâu năm của mình. Apple sẽ vẫn là Apple như lời Cook đã trấn an dư luận.
 Steve Jobs (áo đen, thứ 3 từ phải sang) chính là nhân vật ngồi bên trái Tổng thống Mỹ Barack Obama trong bữa ăn tối do ông Obama mời 12 lãnh đạo của thung lũng Silicon. Bên phải Obama là Mark Zuckerberg – cha đẻ của Facebook - Ảnh: Los Angeles Times |
Với các nhân viên của quả táo cắn dở, việc Jobs rời khỏi chức vụ cao nhất chưa hẳn đã là tin xấu. Là đệ tử cuồng tín nhất của chủ nghĩa cầu toàn, áp lực từ Jobs đè nặng lên tất cả thuộc cấp. Jobs từng "vinh hạnh" lọt vào danh sách "Những ông chủ khó chịu nhất nước Mỹ" của tạp chí Fortune, với mô tả: "Đòi hỏi hoàn hảo đến độc ác của Jobs đốt rụi cả nhân viên có động cơ làm việc mạnh nhất". Độc đoán, Jobs cũng thường xuyên gây căng thẳng với ban lãnh đạo. Chưa hết, sự thô lỗ của Jobs là lý do khiến chuyên gia viết hồi ký Kahney kết luận: "Tất cả những nhân viên đều có một câu chuyện về đề tài: "Steve quát vào mặt tôi'". Ngoài ra, dù rất thông minh và có tài hùng biện, Jobs đã nhiều lần bất lịch sự đến mức khiến người khác phải sửng sốt. Trong một lần được tổng thống Pháp mời ăn tối chính chức, Jobs đã yêu cầu được đãi món… mì Ý, theo như Daily Mail. Còn tờ Guardian thì kể lại, một cuộc đàm phán làm ăn giữa Apple và một công ty giáo dục đã kết thúc bằng tiếng rít lên của Jobs: "Anh là thứ cặn bã! Công ty của anh là thứ cặn bã! Nó chẳng là gì nếu so với công ty của tôi". Trang web Boing Boing còn mô tả nước bọt của ông giám đốc điều hành văng khắp bàn.
 Steve Jobs luôn mặc áo thun đen tay dài, cổ lọ cùng quần jeans xanh trong các sự kiện trước công chúng - Ảnh: Reuters |
Giáo phái Steven Jobs
| Thư từ chức của Steve Jobs Gửi ban giám đốc Apple và cộng đồng Apple, Tôi đã luôn nói rằng nếu một ngày nào đó, tôi không còn khả năng làm tròn bổn phận và đáp ứng được yêu cầu của một giám đốc điều hành Apple, tôi sẽ là người đầu tiên thông báo cho các bạn biết. Thật buồn thay, ngày đó đã đến. Tôi xin từ chức giám đốc điều hành Apple. Nếu được sự đồng ý của ban giám đốc, tôi mong muốn được phục vụ trong cương vị chủ tịch hội đồng quản trị, tổng giám đốc và nhân viên Apple. Tôi tha thiết đề nghị chúng ta thực hiện kế hoạch kế nhiệm mà chúng ta đã chuẩn bị: bổ nhiệm Tim Cook làm giám đốc điều hành của Apple. Tôi tin rằng những ngày tươi sáng nhất và đầy ắp sáng kiến của Apple vẫn đang ở phía trước. Tôi mong muốn được chứng kiến và đóng góp vào sự thành công của Apple trong một vai trò mới. Tại công ty Apple này, tôi đã gặp được những người bạn tốt nhất trong đời. Tôi xin cảm ơn tất cả các bạn vì những năm tháng được sát cánh làm việc bên các bạn. Steve |
Bất chấp những tính cách đáng ghét kể tên, Jobs được hâm mộ như một siêu sao màn bạc. Cùng lúc, Jobs được tôn trọng như một vị anh hùng đã ngã xuống vì hy sinh cho nhân loại. Hơn hết, Jobs còn được sùng bái bởi hàng triệu triệu tín đồ cuồng tín nhất trên khắp thế giới đã gia nhập vào giáo phái mang tên ông. Những tín đồ đó vẫn đang háo hức đợi bên ngoài tòa thánh thất, mòn mỏi chờ giáo chủ bước ra để ban tặng cho họ một món quà mới, món quà mà họ không rõ là gì, chưa từng thấy mặt nó nhưng biết chắc sẽ không thể sống thiếu nó. Thật vậy, những sáng tạo đột phá của Jobs đã làm ra những sản phẩm đánh vào nhu cầu thiết yếu của người tiêu dùng, dù trước khi sản phẩm ra đời, người ta không hề biết là mình cần nó. Tới khi đã xài thử nó, người ta lại không thể hình dung vì sao mình từng có thể sống mà thiếu nó, từ iPod, iPhone đến iPad.
Lấy một ví dụ từ cái máy tính bảng kỳ diệu. Trước khi nó xuất hiện, trên những chuyến tàu điện ngầm ở New York hằng ngày vẫn vương vãi đầy những tờ báo New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today… Những người đi làm, từ anh nhân viên quèn cho tới ông giám đốc đều cặm cụi đọc những thông tin cần thiết cho công việc, không bao giờ nghĩ rằng mình cần một cái máy tính bảng cho phép lướt qua một lần hàng chục, hay nếu muốn là hàng trăm tờ báo, cho phép họ làm việc tiện dụng hệt như trên cái laptop cồng kềnh, cho phép họ xem lại một chương trình truyền hình phát quá khuya vào đêm qua… iPad đã làm cho mọi thứ đều trở nên có thể ở bất cứ nơi đâu, bất cứ thời điểm nào. "Ông ấy đã gây ảnh hưởng quá lớn, tác động trực tiếp tới nhiều thiết bị cơ bản mà chúng ta dùng mỗi ngày: máy tính, điện thoại di động và máy nghe nhạc" – Leander Kahney, một blogger viết trên trang dành cho người hâm mộ Apple cultofmac.com.
Đứa con bị từ chối
Jobs lớn lên ở California (Mỹ), do Paul và Clara - một cặp vợ chồng thuộc tầng lớp lao động nuôi nấng. Đó là cha mẹ nuôi của ông.
Jobs là một đứa trẻ bị từ chối, dù cả cha và mẹ ruột đều còn sống, đều được học hành tử tế. Cha ông – Abdulfattah Jandali - thậm chí là con của một triệu phú. Theo lời Jandali thì bởi ông ngoại ( Simpson) của Jobs là người rất bảo thủ, không cho phép ông cưới mẹ Jobs với sự hiện diện của một đứa con hoang nên họ đã quyết định cho Jobs làm con nuôi. Thế là Joanne Schieble - mẹ của Jobs đã ( bỏ con) giao số phận Jobs cho một cơ quan chuyên cho con nuôi với lời nhắn gửi: cố tìm cho đứa trẻ một người cha, người mẹ có bằng đại học. Cả Paul và Clara đều không đáp ứng được yêu cầu này. Nhưng Joanne vẫn giao Jobs cho họ sau khi họ hứa sẽ cho Jobs học đại học. Cha mẹ nuôi của Jobs đã giữ lời hứa. Có điều Jobs chỉ vào đại học được có vài tháng là bỏ dở, sống sót nhờ những bữa cơm từ thiện.
Sau vài công việc không đâu vào đâu, vào năm 1976 Jobs cùng với một người bạn khai sinh ra công ty Apple trong một căn phòng để xe. Đến 1985, do mâu thuẫn gay gắt với ban lãnh đạo, Jobs bị đá văng ra khỏi công ty của chính mình. Ông chỉ trở lại đó vào năm 1996, khi Apple đang thoi thóp thở, chỉ còn 3 tháng nữa là tới thời hạn phải nộp đơn phá sản. Rất nhanh chóng, Jobs đã vực nó dậy và phù phép biến nó thành công ty lớn thứ 2 trên thế giới (xét về lợi nhuận), còn bản thân ông được người tiêu dùng tôn sùng như một vị thánh sống. Thế giới này phải cảm ơn Steve Jobs vì đã chỉ cho họ thấy một cách sống mới, cách làm việc mới và cách giải trí mới.
Cha đẻ Steve Jobs chưa từng gặp con
Khi nghe tin Jobs từ chức, cha ruột của cựu CEO Apple chia sẻ với báo chí lý do ông phải từ bỏ con và nói rằng nếu có cơ hội, ông sẽ không bao giờ làm vậy.
Người hâm mộ Steve Jobs vẫn biết ông sinh ngày 24/2/1955 tại San Francisco (Mỹ), được Paul and Clara Jobs nhận nuôi. Ông tạo ra máy tính Macintosh đầu tiên ngay trong gara ôtô gia đình. Abdulfattah Jandali và Joanne Simpson, cha mẹ đẻ của ông, sinh ông khi vẫn đang là sinh viên. Hai người này sau đó kết hôn và có thêm một con gái. Em gái của Jobs, Mona Simpson, hiện là một tiểu thuyết gia.
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| Steve Jobs. Ảnh: CNBC. |
Jandali, một người nhập cư từ Syria và đang là phó quản lý một sòng bạc ở Reno, Nevada (Mỹ), trải lòng trên New York Post tuần này rằng ông không hề biết con trai mình là một CEO lừng danh mãi đến vài năm gần đây. Ông đã gửi e-mail cho Jobs vài lần nhưng không hề gọi điện hay hẹn gặp vì sợ bị cho là muốn lợi dụng tài sản của con.
Jandali nói nếu được lựa chọn, ông sẽ giữ lại đứa trẻ, nhưng cha mẹ của Joanne Simpson không muốn con gái họ cưới một người Syria, do đó bà chuyển đến San Francisco để sinh con và đem cho người khác nuôi.
Dù là một trong những CEO được yêu mến nhất thế giới, Jobs luôn giữ bí mật về cuộc sống cá nhân và tảng lờ mọi thông tin viết về ông từ khi đồng sáng lập Apple năm 1976. "Ông ấy có thể đồng ý trả lời phỏng vấn tại lễ công bố sản phẩm vì lợi ích của Apple, nhưng chưa từng nói điều gì về bản thân", Tim Bajarin, Chủ tịch công ty Creative Strategies, cho hay.
Tỷ phú 56 tuổi này có một số người bạn thân như John Lasseter (Pixar) hay Larry Ellison (Oracle). Ông cưới vợ cách đây tròn 20 năm và có ba con là Reed Paul, Erin Sienna và Eve.
Ngoài ra, ông còn một đứa con riêng là Lisa Brennan Jobs với bạn gái cũ ở trường trung học, Chris Ann Brennan. Tạp chí nổi tiếng Fortune (Mỹ) cho hay Jobs từng phủ nhận mối quan hệ huyết thống với Lisa trong nhiều năm, thậm chí quả quyết tại một phiên tòa rằng ông bị vô sinh nên không thể có con. Mẹ của Lisa phải nhờ đến trợ cấp xã hội để nuôi con cho đến khi Jobs công nhận. Ông còn chọn tên cô để đặt cho hệ thống Apple Lisa, máy tính cá nhân đầu tiên sử dụng chuột và giao diện đồ họa người dùng.
Jobs cũng giữ kín chuyện bị ung thư tuyến tụy với công chúng và nhân viên. Thay vì cắt bỏ khối u, ông thực hiện một chế độ ăn kiêng đặc biệt. Chính ban lãnh đạo Apple đã thuyết phục ông đi phẫu thuật.
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| Ảnh được chọn làm trang bìa cho cuốn tiểu sử đầu tiên có sự tham gia của Jobs. |
Năm 2011, lần đầu tiên Jobs đồng ý tham viết tiểu sử về mình. Cuốn sách của tác giả Walter Isaacson sẽ tập hợp hơn 40 cuộc phỏng vấn về sự nghiệp và đời tư với Jobs trong 2 năm qua, cũng như nhận xét, đánh giá của hơn 100 thành viên trong gia đình, bạn bè, đối thủ, đối tác... Sách sẽ lên kệ vào 21/11/2011, ngay trước Lễ Tạ Ơn.
Còn cha đẻ của Jobs hy vọng một ngày nào đó con trai sẽ gọi cho ông và cả hai cùng thư thái uống cafe trước khi quá muộn. Jandali nay đã 80 tuổi, còn cựu CEO từng làm khuynh đảo thị trường công nghệ cũng đang đối mặt với bệnh ung thư giai đoạn cuối.
The 'father of invention' MOHANNAD AL-HAJ ALI
Steve Jobs is routinely voted one of the most influential and powerful people in the world. WHEN the world awoke to the iPod revolution and the innovations that followed such as the iPhone and the iPad, it turned its attention to the creative mind behind them, the founder and chief executive of Apple, Steve Jobs, and his life story as the adopted child of a modest American family. The Observer newspaper in Britain, Fortune magazine in the US, and other media outlets published lengthy articles on his life in which his biological father of Syrian origin, Abdul Fattah "John" Jandali, emigrated to the United States in the early 1950s to pursue his university studies. The western media did not give great mention to Jandali other than to say he was an outstanding professor of political science, that he married his girlfriend (Steve's mother) and by whom he also had a daughter, and that he slipped from view following his separation from his wife. An American historian, however, has now stirred controversy over the role of genes and their superiority over nurture in the case of Steve Jobs, by describing Jandali in a detailed critical article published briefly on the Internet before it was suddenly removed, as "the father of invention", given that Jandali's daughter Mona (Simpson) – Steve's sister – is also one of the most famous contemporary American novelists and a professor at the renowned University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). The 79-year-old Jandali has deliberately kept his distance from the media.What is known about him lacks detail, and is both one-sided and a source of curiosity at the same time. Here is his story as Jandali himself told it to Al-Hayat. Jandali in Syria Abdul Fattah Jandali was born in 1931 to a traditional family in Homs, Syria. His father did not reach university, but was a self-made millionaire who owned "several entire villages", according to his son. His father held complete authority over his children, authority not shared by his traditional and "obedient" wife.
"My father was a self-made millionaire who owned extensive areas of land which included entire villages," Jandali said. "He had a strong personality and, in contrast to other parents in our country, my father did not reveal his feelings towards us, but I knew that he loved me because he loved his children and wanted them to get the best university education possible to live a life of better opportunities than he had, because he didn't have an education. My mother was a traditional Muslim woman who took care of the house and me and my four sisters, but she was conservative, obedient, and a housewife. She didn't have as important a part in our upbringing and education as my father. Women from my generation had a secondary role in the family structure, and the male was in control." The American UniversityJandali did not stay long in Syria. "I left for Beirut when I was 18 to study at the American University, and I spent the best years of my life there," he said.
He was a pan-Arabism activist, and his star soon began to shine. He headed an intellectual and literary society which had a nationalist bent and counted among its members symbols of the Arab nationalists' movements such as George Habash, Constantine Zareeq, Shafiq Al-Hout and others.
"I was an activist in the student nationalist movement at that time," he said. "We demonstrated for the independence of Algeria and spent three days in prison. I wasn't a member of any particular party but I was a supporter of Arab unity and Arab independence. The three and a half years I spent at the American University in Beirut were the best days of my life. The university campus was fantastic and I made lots of friends, some of whom I am still in contact with. I had excellent professors, and it's where I first got interested in law and political science." The university's Campus Gate magazine published in its 2007 spring issue an article by Tousef Shabal in which he says: "The Al-Urwa Al-Wuthqa Association was founded in 1918 and dedicated to cultural and political activities. Between 1951 and 1954 the society was headed by Abdul Fattah Jandali, the now deceased Eli Bouri, Thabit Mahayni and Maurice Tabari. The decision to disband the society was taken after the events of March 1954…" a reference to the violent demonstrations that took place on the university campus against the Baghdad Pact. According to Shabal, the society consisted of "diverse political groups such as Arab nationalists and communists, and competition for the managing positions was red hot, but in the end went in favor of the Arab nationalists." When Jandali graduated from the American University in Beirut, Syria was going through troubled political and economic times, according to Jandali, and although he wanted to study law at Damascus University and become a lawyer, his father did not agree, saying that there were "too many lawyers in Syria". He continued: "Then I decided to continue my higher studies in economy and political sciences at the United States where a relative of mine, Najm Al-Deen Al-Rifa'i, was working as a delegate of Syria to the United Nations in New York. I studied for a year at Columbia University and then went to Wisconsin University where I obtained grants that enabled me to earn my master's and doctorate. I was interested in studying the philosophy of law and analysis of law and political sciences, and I focused in my studies at the American University on international law and the economy." The birth of Steve and MonaWhile studying in Wisconsin, Jandali met Joanne Carole Sciebele by whom he had a boy while they were both still students, but Sciebele's father was conservative and wouldn't agree to them getting married, so she gave her baby boy – Steve Jobs – up for adoption. Initially, a lawyer and his wife approached, but did not proceed with adoption when they found out the child was a boy and not a girl as they wanted. Another couple came forward, neither of whom had gone through university education, and adopted the newborn baby after agreeing to the mother's condition that the child be given a university education later in life. Abdul Fattah (who added "John" to his name) returned and married Sciebele, and they had a daughter and named her Mona, but he then traveled to Syria – part of the United Arab Republic at the time – intending to enter the diplomatic corps. The United Arab Republic "I had two basic paths open to me after graduating," Jandali said. "Either go back to my home country and work with the Syrian government, or stay in the United States and in university education, and that is what I did for a while. I went back to Syria when I got my doctorate, and I thought I'd be able to find work in the government, but that didn't happen. I worked as a manager at a refinery plant in my hometown of Homs for a year, during which Syria was part of the United Arab Republic and run by the Egyptians. Egyptian engineers, for example, ran the Ministry of Energy in Syria, and the situation wasn't right for me, so I went back to the United States to rejoin education there." According to Jandali, his wife decided to break up with him while he was away in Syria, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his academic work. "I enjoyed university education very much, it was a rewarding profession, but unfortunately during the sixties and seventies in the United States the pay was very poor for academics, and in general they did not enjoy great respect due to the prevailing belief that professors only taught because they couldn't do anything else. That is stupid and wrong, of course. I was an assistant professor at Michigan University then at Nevada University. I purchased a restaurant and became interested in making money, and I gave up academic work to run the business. After the restaurant I was a manager at companies and organizations in Las Vegas, and then I opened two restaurants in Reno and joined the organization that I manage today." Jandali describes himself as an "idealist". "Any job I want to do, I try my utmost to see it through completely or not do it at all. Academically, I was very successful. In business management, after a couple of difficult years, I improved. For example, now I run the organization I work in. Success in the world of business requires you to be interested in your assistants and staff and to have a clear vision." 80 years: No to retirement Jandali is that rare case of a person continuing work beyond the age of retirement, and it is something he is proud of. "Next March I'll be in my eighties, but to look at me you'd think I was only in my sixties because I've taken care of myself, looked after my health, and I love work. I think retirement is the worst of western societies' institutions. When people retire they become detached, grow old and stop looking after themselves. Enthusiasm for life dies out and energy levels drop, and they effectively kill themselves, even though they're still alive. I'm not planning to retire even if I leave my position here after a year or two. I'll dedicate myself to writing, I might write a book or two. My daughter is a very successful novelist with five books, and I plan to move on from my work, and I'm thinking of writing about the Arab World, perhaps a historical narrative with analysis for the future." But even so, Jandali has not been to Syria for over 35 years. "Not because I don't want to, but because of the worry which affects an emigrant when he wants to go back to his home country after so many years, and over what might await him there. I'm thinking of visiting Lebanon and Abu Dhabi next summer to see relatives," he said. He doesn't hide his nostalgia. "I miss my family in Syria. When I left, my closest relatives were still alive. I miss my culture and society and the tight social bonds between relatives as well as the standard of living. Here in the United States there is technological advancement and abundant opportunities for growth and work, but it's not life itself, and while one appreciates the individual freedoms in western societies, there are times when you really feel that you are alone, that you don't have the moral family support that you have in the east. I'm not talking about one's mother or father, but the wider family, relatives, that entity that makes you feel you are part of it, that's what I miss most about my home country. Of course I miss the social life and wonderful food, but the most important thing is the outstanding cultural attributes which in general you don't find in the West. "If I had the chance to go back in time, I wouldn't leave Syria or Lebanon at all. I would stay in my home country my whole life. I don't say that out of emotion but out of common sense. I think I've wasted my energies and talents in the wrong place and in the wrong society. But that's just theoretical talk, and what's happened has happened." So what remains of his Syrian identity and Arabic culture after nearly 60 years in America? "I'm a non-practicing Muslim and I haven't been on the Haj, but I believe in Islam in doctrine and culture, and I believe in the family. I have never experienced any problem or discrimination in the United States because of my religion or race. Other than my accent which might sometimes suggest that I'm from another country, I have completely integrated in society here. I advise young Arabs coming here, however, to get a university degree and not prolong their stay, as there are lots of opportunities in the Arab World today, particularly in the Gulf. The good minds of the Arab world must stay there, as they might be able to help their countries there more than they can here. Father of invention Responding to his being called the "father of invention", Jandali says: "My daughter Mona is a famous writer, and my biological son is Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple. The reason he was put up for adoption was because my girlfriend's father was extremely conservative and wouldn't let her marry me, and she decided to give him up for adoption. Steve is my biological son, but I didn't bring him up, and he has a family that adopted him. So if it's said that I'm the 'father of invention', then that's because my biological son is a genius and my daughter a brilliant writer. I thank God for my success in life, but I'm no inventor. "I think that if my son Steve had been brought up with a Syrian name he would have achieved the same success. He has a brilliant mind. And he didn't finish his university studies. That's why I think he would have succeeded whatever his background. I don't have a close relationship with him. I send him a message on his birthday, but neither of us has made overtures to come closer to the other. I tend to think that if he wants to spend time with me he knows where I am and how to get hold of me. "I also bear the responsibility for being away from my daughter when she was four years old, as her mother divorced me when I went to Syria, but we got back in touch after 10 years. We lost touch again when her mother moved and I didn't know where she was, but since 10 years ago we've been in constant contact and I see her three times a year. I organized a trip for her last year to visit Syria and Lebanon and she went with a relative from Florida. I always take the side of the mother because the son will always be happiest with his mother. I'm proud of my son and his accomplishments, and of my work. Of course I made mistakes, and if I could go back in time I would have put some things right. I would have been closer to my son, but all's well that ends well. Steve Jobs is one of the most successful people in America, and Mona is a successful academic and novelist." On the likelihood of Steve Jobs being regarded as an "American-Arab", Jandali says: "I don't think he pays much attention to these gene-related things. People know that he has Syrian origins and that his father is Syrian, that's all well-known. But he doesn't pay attention to these things. He has his own distinctive personality and he's highly-strung. People who are geniuses can do what they want." – Al-Hayat/Saudi Gazette
"My father was a self-made millionaire who owned extensive areas of land which included entire villages," Jandali said. "He had a strong personality and, in contrast to other parents in our country, my father did not reveal his feelings towards us, but I knew that he loved me because he loved his children and wanted them to get the best university education possible to live a life of better opportunities than he had, because he didn't have an education. My mother was a traditional Muslim woman who took care of the house and me and my four sisters, but she was conservative, obedient, and a housewife. She didn't have as important a part in our upbringing and education as my father. Women from my generation had a secondary role in the family structure, and the male was in control." The American UniversityJandali did not stay long in Syria. "I left for Beirut when I was 18 to study at the American University, and I spent the best years of my life there," he said.
He was a pan-Arabism activist, and his star soon began to shine. He headed an intellectual and literary society which had a nationalist bent and counted among its members symbols of the Arab nationalists' movements such as George Habash, Constantine Zareeq, Shafiq Al-Hout and others.
"I was an activist in the student nationalist movement at that time," he said. "We demonstrated for the independence of Algeria and spent three days in prison. I wasn't a member of any particular party but I was a supporter of Arab unity and Arab independence. The three and a half years I spent at the American University in Beirut were the best days of my life. The university campus was fantastic and I made lots of friends, some of whom I am still in contact with. I had excellent professors, and it's where I first got interested in law and political science." The university's Campus Gate magazine published in its 2007 spring issue an article by Tousef Shabal in which he says: "The Al-Urwa Al-Wuthqa Association was founded in 1918 and dedicated to cultural and political activities. Between 1951 and 1954 the society was headed by Abdul Fattah Jandali, the now deceased Eli Bouri, Thabit Mahayni and Maurice Tabari. The decision to disband the society was taken after the events of March 1954…" a reference to the violent demonstrations that took place on the university campus against the Baghdad Pact. According to Shabal, the society consisted of "diverse political groups such as Arab nationalists and communists, and competition for the managing positions was red hot, but in the end went in favor of the Arab nationalists." When Jandali graduated from the American University in Beirut, Syria was going through troubled political and economic times, according to Jandali, and although he wanted to study law at Damascus University and become a lawyer, his father did not agree, saying that there were "too many lawyers in Syria". He continued: "Then I decided to continue my higher studies in economy and political sciences at the United States where a relative of mine, Najm Al-Deen Al-Rifa'i, was working as a delegate of Syria to the United Nations in New York. I studied for a year at Columbia University and then went to Wisconsin University where I obtained grants that enabled me to earn my master's and doctorate. I was interested in studying the philosophy of law and analysis of law and political sciences, and I focused in my studies at the American University on international law and the economy." The birth of Steve and MonaWhile studying in Wisconsin, Jandali met Joanne Carole Sciebele by whom he had a boy while they were both still students, but Sciebele's father was conservative and wouldn't agree to them getting married, so she gave her baby boy – Steve Jobs – up for adoption. Initially, a lawyer and his wife approached, but did not proceed with adoption when they found out the child was a boy and not a girl as they wanted. Another couple came forward, neither of whom had gone through university education, and adopted the newborn baby after agreeing to the mother's condition that the child be given a university education later in life. Abdul Fattah (who added "John" to his name) returned and married Sciebele, and they had a daughter and named her Mona, but he then traveled to Syria – part of the United Arab Republic at the time – intending to enter the diplomatic corps. The United Arab Republic "I had two basic paths open to me after graduating," Jandali said. "Either go back to my home country and work with the Syrian government, or stay in the United States and in university education, and that is what I did for a while. I went back to Syria when I got my doctorate, and I thought I'd be able to find work in the government, but that didn't happen. I worked as a manager at a refinery plant in my hometown of Homs for a year, during which Syria was part of the United Arab Republic and run by the Egyptians. Egyptian engineers, for example, ran the Ministry of Energy in Syria, and the situation wasn't right for me, so I went back to the United States to rejoin education there." According to Jandali, his wife decided to break up with him while he was away in Syria, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his academic work. "I enjoyed university education very much, it was a rewarding profession, but unfortunately during the sixties and seventies in the United States the pay was very poor for academics, and in general they did not enjoy great respect due to the prevailing belief that professors only taught because they couldn't do anything else. That is stupid and wrong, of course. I was an assistant professor at Michigan University then at Nevada University. I purchased a restaurant and became interested in making money, and I gave up academic work to run the business. After the restaurant I was a manager at companies and organizations in Las Vegas, and then I opened two restaurants in Reno and joined the organization that I manage today." Jandali describes himself as an "idealist". "Any job I want to do, I try my utmost to see it through completely or not do it at all. Academically, I was very successful. In business management, after a couple of difficult years, I improved. For example, now I run the organization I work in. Success in the world of business requires you to be interested in your assistants and staff and to have a clear vision." 80 years: No to retirement Jandali is that rare case of a person continuing work beyond the age of retirement, and it is something he is proud of. "Next March I'll be in my eighties, but to look at me you'd think I was only in my sixties because I've taken care of myself, looked after my health, and I love work. I think retirement is the worst of western societies' institutions. When people retire they become detached, grow old and stop looking after themselves. Enthusiasm for life dies out and energy levels drop, and they effectively kill themselves, even though they're still alive. I'm not planning to retire even if I leave my position here after a year or two. I'll dedicate myself to writing, I might write a book or two. My daughter is a very successful novelist with five books, and I plan to move on from my work, and I'm thinking of writing about the Arab World, perhaps a historical narrative with analysis for the future." But even so, Jandali has not been to Syria for over 35 years. "Not because I don't want to, but because of the worry which affects an emigrant when he wants to go back to his home country after so many years, and over what might await him there. I'm thinking of visiting Lebanon and Abu Dhabi next summer to see relatives," he said. He doesn't hide his nostalgia. "I miss my family in Syria. When I left, my closest relatives were still alive. I miss my culture and society and the tight social bonds between relatives as well as the standard of living. Here in the United States there is technological advancement and abundant opportunities for growth and work, but it's not life itself, and while one appreciates the individual freedoms in western societies, there are times when you really feel that you are alone, that you don't have the moral family support that you have in the east. I'm not talking about one's mother or father, but the wider family, relatives, that entity that makes you feel you are part of it, that's what I miss most about my home country. Of course I miss the social life and wonderful food, but the most important thing is the outstanding cultural attributes which in general you don't find in the West. "If I had the chance to go back in time, I wouldn't leave Syria or Lebanon at all. I would stay in my home country my whole life. I don't say that out of emotion but out of common sense. I think I've wasted my energies and talents in the wrong place and in the wrong society. But that's just theoretical talk, and what's happened has happened." So what remains of his Syrian identity and Arabic culture after nearly 60 years in America? "I'm a non-practicing Muslim and I haven't been on the Haj, but I believe in Islam in doctrine and culture, and I believe in the family. I have never experienced any problem or discrimination in the United States because of my religion or race. Other than my accent which might sometimes suggest that I'm from another country, I have completely integrated in society here. I advise young Arabs coming here, however, to get a university degree and not prolong their stay, as there are lots of opportunities in the Arab World today, particularly in the Gulf. The good minds of the Arab world must stay there, as they might be able to help their countries there more than they can here. Father of invention Responding to his being called the "father of invention", Jandali says: "My daughter Mona is a famous writer, and my biological son is Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple. The reason he was put up for adoption was because my girlfriend's father was extremely conservative and wouldn't let her marry me, and she decided to give him up for adoption. Steve is my biological son, but I didn't bring him up, and he has a family that adopted him. So if it's said that I'm the 'father of invention', then that's because my biological son is a genius and my daughter a brilliant writer. I thank God for my success in life, but I'm no inventor. "I think that if my son Steve had been brought up with a Syrian name he would have achieved the same success. He has a brilliant mind. And he didn't finish his university studies. That's why I think he would have succeeded whatever his background. I don't have a close relationship with him. I send him a message on his birthday, but neither of us has made overtures to come closer to the other. I tend to think that if he wants to spend time with me he knows where I am and how to get hold of me. "I also bear the responsibility for being away from my daughter when she was four years old, as her mother divorced me when I went to Syria, but we got back in touch after 10 years. We lost touch again when her mother moved and I didn't know where she was, but since 10 years ago we've been in constant contact and I see her three times a year. I organized a trip for her last year to visit Syria and Lebanon and she went with a relative from Florida. I always take the side of the mother because the son will always be happiest with his mother. I'm proud of my son and his accomplishments, and of my work. Of course I made mistakes, and if I could go back in time I would have put some things right. I would have been closer to my son, but all's well that ends well. Steve Jobs is one of the most successful people in America, and Mona is a successful academic and novelist." On the likelihood of Steve Jobs being regarded as an "American-Arab", Jandali says: "I don't think he pays much attention to these gene-related things. People know that he has Syrian origins and that his father is Syrian, that's all well-known. But he doesn't pay attention to these things. He has his own distinctive personality and he's highly-strung. People who are geniuses can do what they want." – Al-Hayat/Saudi Gazette
Interview of Steve's biological father
Check out this interview of Steve Jobs' biological father, 79-year-old Abdul Fattah "John" Jandali. This is the first time I've read any public comment from him.
My father was a self-made millionaire who owned extensive areas of land which included entire villages," Jandali said.
"My daughter Mona is a famous writer, and my biological son is Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple. The reason he was put up for adoption was because my girlfriend's father was extremely conservative and wouldn't let her marry me, and she decided to give him up for adoption. Steve is my biological son, but I didn't bring him up, and he has a family that adopted him. So if it's said that I'm the 'father of invention', then that's because my biological son is a genius and my daughter a brilliant writer
"I think that if my son Steve had been brought up with a Syrian name he would have achieved the same success. He has a brilliant mind. And he didn't finish his university studies. That's why I think he would have succeeded whatever his background. I don't have a close relationship with him. I send him a message on his birthday, but neither of us has made overtures to come closer to the other. I tend to think that if he wants to spend time with me he knows where I am and how to get hold of me.
I'm proud of my son and his accomplishments, and of my work. Of course I made mistakes, and if I could go back in time I would have put some things right. I would have been closer to my son, but all's well that ends well. Steve Jobs is one of the most successful people in America, and Mona is a successful academic and novelist."
We all know Apple former CEO Steve Jobs was adopted at birth, but what do really know about his biological father Abdulfattah Jandali? Let me tell you just a few things about Steve Jobs' father..
79 year-old Abdulfattah Jandali was born in Hims, Homs Governorate, Syria on March 15, 1931. He moved to Beirut where he enrolled in the American University on 1952 by the time he was 18, between 1952 and 1956 because the political and economic situation has worsen in Syria he went to Damascus University where he will become a lawyer against his father's will (he father never went to college but he managed to become wealthy man who owned big areas of land in Syria) after that he relocated to the U.S (New York) with a family friend and pursue his studies in economy and political sciences, he went to Columbia for a year before finishing his colleges studies at the University of Wisconsin and then became the University of Wisconsin's political science professor. While he was teaching he met Joanne Carole Schieble from Green Bay. He and Joanne started dating, but according to Jandali Mr. Schieble was not so comfortable with him dating his daughter, even less fancy he was when he found out they were expecting their first child together, while she was still in college and unmarried.
Somewhere in this time Abdulfattah added John to his name and he introduce himself as John Abdulfattah Jandali, he and his girlfriend talked into giving their unborn child for adoption, they wanted the child to have the life they couldn't give him and a good education so they wanted to make sure the child's adoptive parents were college graduates they found a couple of lawyers who would adopt their baby when he or she was born, but when they found out they were expecting a boy the couple told Jandali and Schieble they were hoping to adopt a girl, so they have to keep looking, and so they bumped into Clark a machinist and coast guard veteran and his wife Clara an accountant, great people but not college graduates. The only way they would give them their baby was if their commit to give him a college education.
On February 24, 1955 by the time was 23 he and Joanne welcome their son in San Francisco, a week later they gave him to the Jobs who named him Steve Paul Jobs. The following year on December 26, 1955 while in Preble, Wisconsin he married Joanne, then they welcome their daughter Mona, born on June 14th, 1957 when Jandali was 26.
Abdulfattah flew to Syria looking for a better life his intention was to join the diplomatic corps, but that didn't happened he only managed to get a job in Homs at a refinery plant, he did however get his doctorate thought but he had no choice but to go back to the U.S, by the time he got back things with Joanne went bad and they decided to split up his daughter Mona was 4.
Joanne remarry George Simpson, his daughter Mona took his stepfather name, she is today a successful novelist Mona Simpson, she and her mother reconnected with their brother Steve but no such thing happened with Jandali.
While he stays in the dark when it comes to his famous son and daughter he speaks proudly of their achievements. Abdulfattah Jandali he once said in an interview that after he split from Joanne he became Michigan and Nevada University's assistant professor, but when he bought a restaurant and open two casinos he forgot about academics and focus on making cash.
Abdulfattah reconnected with Mona ten years after his divorce from Schieble, He didn't stay alone thought on April 21, 1966 he got married again to Thelma in Sacramento, California. At age 65 he was working in Mandelay Circus two years later he was working at the Boomtown Hotel and Casino.
Abdulfattah hasn't been in Syria for more than 48 years, he plans to write a book in the future.
Syrian-American Casino Mogul wants to Meet his Ailing Son, Steve Jobs
The furiously private Steve Jobs stepped down last week as Chief Executive Officer of Apple, and the tech world was set aflutter. As pundits speculate on the future of Apple, and its management structure, the man at the center of it all has remained out of sight. It is not known, but has been speculated, that Jobs is ailing as a result of undisclosed medical conditions. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, and underwent a liver transplant two years later. His gaunt appearance in the last year has led many to speculate about a possible return of his cancer.
However, the mercurial, innovative, and wildly successful Jobs is not one to seek publicity for himself. He has kept his personal life furiously private, only seeking the spotlight to showcase his latest corporate creations, such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
As one of the key architects of modern personal computing, and of Apple Inc, one of the leading techology corporations in the world, it is not easy to evade the spotlight. A Syrian-American immigrant, Abdulfattah John Jandali, is allegedly the biological father of Steve Jobs, and has indicated to the media his wish to reconnect with his ailing son. Jandali, 80 years old, gave his son up for adoption after his girlfriend's father refused to allow his daughter to marry a Syrian. Jandali's then-girlfriend, Joanna Simpson, married him a few months after giving the baby up for adoption after her father passed away. Abdulfattah Jandali apparently was unaware of his son's true identity until a few years ago.
Jandali is the vice-president of the Boomtown Casino and Hotel Resort in Reno, Nevada. Even at 80 years old, he still works 6 days a week, and has no intention of retiring. He apparently wants to meet his biological son, although pride has prevented him from picking up the phone and calling Jobs. "This might sound strange, though, but I am not prepared, even if either of us was on our deathbeds, to pick up the phone to call him," Mr. Jandali said. "Steve will have to do that, as the Syrian pride in me does not want him ever to think I am after his fortune.
Now I just live in hope that, before it is too late, he will reach out to me, because even to have just one coffee with him just once would make me a very happy man," he said. "Because I really am not his dad. Mr. and Mrs. Jobs are, as they raised him. And I don't want to take their place. I just would like to get to know this amazing man I helped in a very small way to produce."
Image courtesy of Macinate
Nov 22, 2004 By meg sullivan
A writer who knows writers
Photo by Reed Hutchinson
UCLA Photographic Services
English Professor and novelist Mona Simpson brings her famous friends to UCLA in a popular writers' series.
After returning to Los Angeles, the town where she grew up, acclaimed novelist Mona Simpson found that she stayed in touch with writers she'd met at writers' colonies in picturesque New England, her job at "The Paris Review," at parties full of young editors and waiters with aspirations and, yes, college.
"You start out in college, where everyone you know is reading literary books, and you talk to everyone you know about what you're writing," said Simpson, who joined the UCLA faculty in 2001. "And then, as you go on in life, fewer and fewer people have that interest, so you cling to your writer friends."
The English professor is going into her third year of giving clinginess a good name. The latest evolution of the writers' series she organizes at UCLA leverages those valuable contacts made over the years. And it appears from the buzz the series is generating that the author of such best-selling novels as "Anywhere But Here," "The Lost Father" and "A Regular Guy" has hit her stride.
The series, given a slightly new name, "Some Favorite Writers," also has a new location, the UCLA Hammer Museum's Gallery 6 theater. Admission now is free. "Atlantic Monthly," to which Simpson occasionally contributes, foots the bill, along with Fox Searchlight, the studio that made "Anywhere But Here" into a 1999 movie starring Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman.
David Foster Wallace ("Infinite Jest," "Obsession") drew a standing-room-only crowd to the season opener last month. The series continues Dec. 1 with National Book Award-winning author Jonathan Franzen ("The Corrections") and Jan. 20 with Marilynne Robinson ("Housekeeping," "Gilead: A Novel"). Simpson is hoping next year to lure the great Canadian writer Alice Munro, whom she once interviewed for "The Paris Review."
Simpson, who taught at Bard, Columbia and NYU before joining UCLA in 2001, conceived the series during her first year on campus, when she noticed her students got "very excited" when she suggested inviting such friends as Christina Garcia ("Dreaming in Cuban") and Michelle Huneven ("Jamesland") to campus.
"This is a major coup for UCLA," said fellow English Professor Katherine Hayles. "Mona's own cachet as a creative writer is clearly critical in her success."
But who would expect anything less from the writer hailed by "Newsweek" as being in "the front ranks of our best novelists" upon the 1987 publication of "Anywhere But Here"?
Like the book's protagonist Ann August, Simpson moved from the Midwest to L.A. at a tender age and left town to attend college. Eventually she settled in New York, but began living part-time in L.A. in 1994 and finally settled on the West Coast five years later.
Now she is busy editing her sixth book. "My Hollywood" traces the life of a Filipina nanny in Hollywood, an idea that started gnawing at her after she gave birth to her two children, ages 4 and 11.
"I'll get an idea and notice a couple of years later that I'm still thinking about it," Simpson said. "Some of them just stick more."
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