Funders: The Missing Steve Jobs / Apple Philanthropy

The New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin (via @robreich) explains the convoluted, minimalistic focus on philanthropy that Apple's Steve Jobs has taken so far, along with some interesting education connections most of which are related to his wife (The Mystery of Steve Jobs's Public Giving).  Jobs' foundation lasted just a year, and Jobs shuttered most of Apple's philanthropic work 15 years ago.  Wife Laurene Powell Jobs (pictured to the left of Kopp) is on the boards of TFA, New America, Stand For Children, and NSVF and she helped found College Track, which looks like some sort of counseling / tutoring program. Jobs and his wife are worth nearly $9 billion and may have done some anonymous philanthropy but Jobs hasn't signed the Buffet pledge or made any big moves publicly. Then again, he's a relatively young guy, has been having much-publicized health problems for a while now, and he -- unlike Gates or Zuckerberg (or Buffet or Walton) --hasn't had the public relations need to boost his image.  Maybe he thinks his company's products do more to help the economy and the world than any charity he could provide.  Plus which, there's no guarantee he would give any of his loot to education-related programs, or that you would like the ones he picked.     

Comments

[CarolineSF]

College Track is a good program from what I hear, but other than that, could Jobs' wife have worked any harder to join organizations that bust unions and bash public schools and teachers? Thank you for not adding to that momentum, Steve Jobs.

[CarolineSF]

College Track is a good program from what I hear, but other than that, could Jobs' wife have worked any harder to join organizations that bust unions and bash public schools and teachers? Thank you for not adding to that momentum, Steve Jobs.

[CarolineSF]

College Track is a good program from what I hear, but other than that, could Jobs' wife have worked any harder to join organizations that bust unions and bash public schools and teachers? Thank you for not adding to that momentum, Steve Jobs.

[Michael]

Considering that fact Jobs grew Apple on out-of-country low wage slave labor, it is only a matter of time before Jobs goes after unions. But maybe he has learned something from Buddhism and decided to not be like every other wealthy person who goes around bashing working class teachers and poor children for not working hard enough.

[Mel]

Too late:

See http://www.pcworld.com/article/129214/jobs_bashes_teachers_unions.html.