Steve Jobs, the visionary entrepreneur, passed away at the age of 56. Few people have had a more profound influence on the world. Mr. Jobs' genius lay in his ability to see technology for what it is — a tool that has the capacity to transform how we live.
His success reflected his ability to humanize technology, making it accessible, useful and beautiful. He ushered in the age of personal technology and then refined it, never shying away from his vision, even when it meant destroying his earlier work. He aspired to make, and ultimately succeeded in making, a dent in the universe.
The outline of Mr. Jobs' life is the stuff of legend. He was put up for adoption by his natural parents who were not ready to take on the responsibilities of child rearing. A precocious child, he was fascinated by electronics. That interest led to an association with Mr. Steve Wozniak in high school. The two developed ways to hack the telephone system and make free calls. He dropped out of college after a single semester but stayed on to audit classes that interested him. That period, he later enthused, validated his sense of curiosity and intuition.