How a Deal With the CIA Changed the Future for Steve Jobs and Apple
Summary
WSJ’s Isabel Busquet interviews Sharon Weinberger about her book "Valley of Death," exploring the CIA’s pivotal role in saving Steve Jobs’ NeXT company in the 1980s. This secret funding allowed NeXT to survive, eventually providing the operating system foundation for the iPhone and modern Apple. The episode challenges the myth of Silicon Valley’s anti-military stance, revealing how government contracts historically fueled tech innovation.
Topics discussed
Viking ad and Tech News Briefing intro
Tim Cook steps down; John Turner becomes Apple CEO
Steve Jobs' NeXT and its secret CIA deal
Interview with Sharon Weinberger on tech and war
CIA agents approach NeXT for satellite imagery tech
Financial necessity drove Jobs to accept government contract
Modified NeXT computers shipped to intelligence agencies
NeXT created early intranet for military satellite data
Break and Viking advertisement
Jobs returns to Apple; NeXT OS becomes foundation
CIA funding saved NeXT and shaped Apple's future
Show credits and closing remarks
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