BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : JANUARY 10, 2000 ISSUE
COVER STORY

Jobs's Juggling Act


Steve Jobs: Photo courtesy of Apple Computer KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Apple's stock leapt roughly 140% in 1999, to about $99

Operating profits should jump 70%, to $612 million for year ending next Sept.
For STEVEN P. JOBS, CEO of Apple Computer Corp. (AAPL), 1999 was a brilliant second act. After restoring Apple's pride and profits in 1998, he's poised to supercharge growth with hot new products. The candy-colored iMac and portable iBook are flying out of the stores, and Apple's stock is soaring.

The picture is just as bright at Pixar Animation Studios Inc. (PIXR), where Toy Story 2 is setting box-office records. With three blockbusters in three tries, Jobs has created one of Hollywood's most profitable moviemakers. His 65% stake is worth a hefty $1.2 billion.

Call it sweet revenge for Jobs, 44, whose reputation seemed forever tarnished after his ouster from Apple in 1985. Besides dreaming up great products, he has shown he can execute. ''I don't think people think of me as a manager,'' he says. ''Once the visionary thing gets attached to you, it's hard to get rid of.'' Today, Jobs, who is consumed with details, from product design to advertising, runs Apple like a nimble startup. By streamlining production, Apple now operates with less inventory than Dell Computer.

At Pixar, where Jobs spends only a third of his time, he has proven an inspired dealmaker. With Toy Story 2, partner Walt Disney had ordered a low-budget, straight-to-video project. Convinced that kids hadn't had enough of Woody and Buzz, Jobs persuaded Disney to splurge on a theatrical release.

Can Jobs repeat the performance? It won't be easy. Pixar won't release its next movie until 2001. And Apple needs more hit products and an aggressive Net strategy. But Jobs isn't stopping. ''If I didn't enjoy it, I'd be on a beach somewhere,'' he says. Why bother, when running Apple and Pixar is so much fun?



_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

BACK TO TOP


RELATED ITEMS
INTRODUCTION

MANAGERS TO WATCH

THE TOP ENTREPRENEURS

THE TOP 25 MANAGERS

Minuro Arakawa

Bernard Arnault

Arthur Blank

Peter Bijur

Gordon Binder

Steve Case

John Chambers

James Curvey

Thierry Desmarest

Bernie Ebbers

Tom Engibous

Chris Gent

Irwin Jacobs

Steve Jobs

Mel Karmazin

James Kelly

Timothy Koogle

Ken Lay

Jenny Ming

Thomas Siebel

Masayoshi Son

Martha Stewart

Keiji Tachikawa

Jack Welch

Yun Jong Yong

ONLINE EXTRAS

TO BUSINESS WEEK INVESTOR



INTERACT
E-Mail to Business Week Online

 
Copyright 1999, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use   Privacy Policy