Steve Jobs said a lot of things.
Like, for example, The Elevator Question.
Ever hear of it?
No?
It goes like this:
You work at Apple, and you get into an elevator, and Steve Jobs gets into the elevator with you, and the doors close.
Steve looks at you and says, "what do you do here"?
Here's the fun part: you have until the door opens to convince him you're valuable enough to keep your job.
Fun Fact: No Apple building was taller than four stories.
Other Fun Fact: Jobs didn't just actually fire people this way - literally as he walked out of the elevator - he enjoyed it.
Jobs hemorrhaged excellent talent, right in the middle of Silicon Valley, where people could - and did - walk down the street and get another job, with stock options, at a better salary, if you pissed them off.
He didn't care - he was notorious for this. He wrecked projects, teams, divisions, year after year after year.
And why? Because he could. He was Steve Jobs.
And if you were too valuable to screw with, you got "The Honeymoon." Where Steve would praise you to everyone, everywhere. Invite you over, take you out, be mesmerized by you. And you know why he'd do it? Because after you were nice and pumped up, then he could give YOU the Elevator Question, and either fire you, or ridicule in front of the entire company.
Merit didn't enter into it - only vulnerability.
Not a "nice guy"?
You have no idea.
There's a reason he and the Clintons got along so well, and it goes way beyond mere politics.
You sound like someone who knew Jobs personally, or were one of those “elevator” disgruntled employees.
Either that, or you read one of the hit pieces that have been written over the years.
That being said - Jobs’ ugly side IS well documented - and it was even somewhat portrayed on the “Pirates of Silicon Valley” (or maybe that’s where you got your statements?).