Steve Jobs' Muslim birth father
Before yesterday, perhaps the most famous person of Arab ancestry was world's richest man billionaire Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico whose father was a Lebanese immigrant. But after Steve Jobs' death and focus on his Muslim birth father, now many believe Jobs is the best known person of Arab ancestry. Except in Jobs' case, the story is a sad one of estrangement and bitterness.
Jobs was born in San Francisco to "unwed" parents Abdulfattah Jandali, a Syrian Muslim immigrant to the U.S. and Joanne Schieble (later Simpson), an American graduate student of Swiss and German ancestry. But apparently due to the disapproval of Joanne's family with their daughter's relationship with a Muslim immigrant, Jobs was given away for adoption - a fate that Obama also came close to, when his Muslim immigrant father and American mother contemplated giving him away.
Jobs was adopted by Paul Jobs and Clara Hagopian (of Armenian descent), and takes his last name from his adopted father. According to Steve Jobs (see video below), his biological mother required high education for the adopting couple, but was later disappointed when she realized Paul Jobs and his wife have misrepresented themselves and are indeed working class people. However, the adopting parents, through their savings and guidance provided Steve with a college education opportunity. Jobs, on the other hand, found college too expensive so he dropped out to pursue his real passion and dreams with his friend Steve Wozniak (in the picture), who co-founded Apple Computers with jobs.
Jobs' biological parents eventually married and gave birth to Jobs' biological sister, novelist Mona Simpson. Jobs and Simpson first met in 1986 as adults and enjoyed a close relationship since, with Jobs regularly visiting Simpson in Manhattan. From Simpson, Jobs learned more about their birth parents and he invited his biological mother Joanne to some events but he never returned his father's letters and contacts. Job's estranged father Mr. Jandali, 80, presently a vice president of Boomtown Hotel Casino in Reno, Nevada, has expressed his regret for giving his son up for adoption and recently stated his desire to meet his son: "I live in hope that before it is too late he will reach out to me... Even to have just one coffee with him just once would make me a very happy man."
Yesterday, after hearing the news about Jobs' death, Jandali indicated: "I really don't have anything to say .. I know the news."
Jobs was fired from Apple but later hired to turn it around from bankruptcy into a $350 billion company, enjoying America's largest market capitalization next to Exxon. Jobs' personal wealth is an estimated $6 billion. He is survived by his wife and four children, none of them with Muslim or Arabic names or cultural connections to the Middle East.
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