BackgroundInvestigation
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Steve Jobs' 1991 FBI file has been released
Have a bit of time? Want to learn more about Steve Jobs' life than you were able to dredge up reading the Walter Isaacson biography? All you have to do is read the 191-page 1991 FBI background investigation of Jobs that was done when he was being considered for an appointment to the President's Export Council. The file also include records of a 1985 bomb threat made against Jobs. John Cook at Gawker noted that "I've read the files from a lot of background FBI investigations; it's pretty rare in my experience that this much derogatory information gets dredged up." What kind of derogatory comments? Some of them are classic: "He characterized Mr. Jobs as an honest and trustworthy individual; however, his moral character is questionable" and "They further stated that Mr. Jobs has integrity as long as he gets his way." But wait, there's more! "Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs' honesty stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals." Yes, the famous Jobs Reality Distortion Field has been investigated by the FBI, but there's no word on whether it was the X-Files team or Fringe Division that was doing the investigation. And finally, there's this gem: "He characterized Mr. Jobs as a deceptive individual who who (sic) is not completely forthright and honest." While the names of his friends and associates have been redacted from the report, it's apparent that they -- at least back in the 1990s -- didn't have a lot of trust in the late Apple CEO.
