With all of Steve Jobs’ achievements as the CEO of Apple (and they were many), some people forget his major involvement with Disney Pixar. In 1986, Jobs purchased the company that would later be called Pixar from Lucasfilm for $10 million. He invested $5 million into the company as capital.
That means that on a basic level, Steve Jobs is responsible for some of the best animated films of the past decade and beyond – from Toy Story to Cars. Jobs’ reach extends even beyond the massive innovations he made in the personal computing and mobile technology fields.
Disney Pixar CEO John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, President of Walt Disney Pixar Animation Studios have made a joint statement on Jobs’ passing on the Disney Pixar Facebook page:
Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply ‘make it great.’ He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.
They also posted a photo of the three together, which is the image seen above.
Disney CEO Bob Iger also had this to say about Jobs:
Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an “original,” with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.
