Want to know what Scott Forstall has been up to?
In October of last year, Tim Cook shocked the world (okay, the Apple world) when he let go of iOS mastermind, longtime NeXT/Apple employee, and Steve Jobs sidekick Scott Forstall.
It's worth noting that Forstall, though largely regarded as a brilliant engineer, was reportedly a divisive figure who was not always easy to work with. Some reports indicated that Forstall would routinely clash with Jony Ive and Bob Mansfield. When asked for his opinion on Forstall's unceremonious departure, former Apple exec Tony Fadell went so far as to say that "Scott got what he deserved."
Since being let go a little over a year ago, Forstall has largely been MIA. Naturally, many were left wondering just what in the world Forstall was up to. Did he take up residence on one of Larry Ellison's super yachts, hiding from the press on the high seas? Did he sign up for the Google Glass explorer program? Will he ever tweet again? One of the more pressing questions remains frustratingly unanswered -- what does Scott Forstall think of iOS 7?
While that question lingers on, we finally do have some information regarding Forstall's activity in the months since leaving Apple.
According to the recently launched The Information, former WSJ journalist Amir Efrati catches us up to speed. Efrati writes that Forstall spent much of the last year traveling in Italy and South Africa. Forstall also spent some time lending some of his wise counsel to a few startups while also dabbling in some philanthropic endeavors.
As for what's next, that's anyone's guess. Efrati relays that some top VC firms may be interested in Forstall while it's also possible that Forstall many branch out and start a brand new company on his own.
Either way, it's nice to hear that Forstall is alive and well and seemingly enjoying the post-Apple chapter of his life. Forstall began working at NeXT in 1992 and joined Apple a few years later when NeXT was acquired to save what was then a floundering Apple in desperate need of a new OS and fresh leadership.
