Steve Jobs

One of the legendary Silicon Valley visionaries who revolutionized the tech landscape, Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Inc., redefining the world's relationship with computers and technology. After being ousted from Apple in 1985, Jobs founded a new computer company, NeXT, which Apple acquired in 1996. He also served as CEO of Pixar Animation Studios, whose success creating critical and commercial blockbuster animated films, including "Toy Story" (1995), "A Bug's Life" (1998) and "Finding Nemo" (2003), led to Disney purchasing it in 2006 and Jobs becoming the Mouse House's largest single shareholder. Returning to Apple in triumph in 1996, Jobs took over as its full-fledged CEO in 1997, a position he held until 2011. Famous for his temperamental nature as well as the amazing results he demanded, Jobs' larger-than-life personality and success made him a legendary and controversial figure. Determined to continually perfect Apple products like iTunes and the iPod, iPhone and iPad, especially in terms of building a brand loyalty exemplified by the company's blend of functional elegance and high-end design, Jobs was the ultimate ambassador for the company and its lifestyle. Plagued by ill health brought on by pancreatic cancer, Jobs underwent a liver transplant and subsequent treatment but died on Oct. 5, 2011. Glowing tributes from around the world acknowledged his place among the all-time great innovators like Thomas Edison, and his legacy lived on at the fingertips of millions around the world.