John Sculley Explains Why He Fired Steve Jobs

As Apple kicks off its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, during which Steve Jobs is expected to announce the release of the new Apple iPhone (unofficially called the "iPhone 4G"), the Daily Beast's Thomas Weber recalls a time when the willful Jobs butted heads with the Apple Board of Directors and fellow execs.

One colleague in particular, John Sculley, who created the "Pepsi Challenge," was lured to Apple by Steve Jobs in 1983 and would become a key figure in the ousting of Jobs in 1985. According to the Daily Beast, "Sculley wrestled with low Macintosh sales and a need to bring some order to the creative chaos Jobs had unleashed. Sculley found that he couldn't rein in Jobs--and decided he had to go."

In one anecdote, the Daily Beast tells of a cocktail party at the home of David Rockefeller, where Jobs and other Apple managers allegedly put multicolored Apple logo stickers on the lavatory mirrors. Another board member Arthur Rock, recalls Jobs's relaxed office dress code:

Jobs came into the office, as he does now, dressed in Levi's, but at that time that wasn't quite the thing to do [...] And I believe he had a goatee and a mustache and long hair--and he had just come back from six months in India with a guru, learning about life. I'm not sure, but it may have been a while since he had a bath.

Now, however, Sculley sees Jobs as a visionary and regrets the actions he took against his former co-worker. "The same principles Steve is so rigorous about now are the identical ones he was using then. Now he's a lot wiser and a better business executive," Sculley told the Daily Beast.

"I haven't spoken to Steve in 20-odd years," Sculley went on to say. "Even though he still doesn't speak to me, and I expect he never will, I have tremendous admiration for him."

Jobs was reinstated by Apple in 1997 and has since steered the company to great heights. Just recently, Apple's surpassed Microsoft as the world's most valuable tech company.

Comments

[dwill123]

08:35 AM on 06/09/2010

John Scully was another loser CEO just like Carly Fiorina.

[Zack Rodriguez]

12:56 AM on 06/09/2010

No matter how many times the man gets fired, his last name is still Jobs. Doesnt that means he still have some sort of security? ::rimshot::

[PoorRichardsHeartache]

11:46 PM on 06/08/2010

Other than fleecing shareholders for an enormous comp package, explain to me exactly what Sculley accomplished.

[ZeMongoose]

10:56 PM on 06/08/2010

This is why it's always a bad idea to give marketing people any actual authority...

[norkas]

06:33 PM on 06/08/2010

I am trying to sell my new application to Apple PLEASE help me bloggers.

It is a security device called DON,T TOUCH.

It is simple kets say you leave your phone somewhere or a friend wants to use it. With a simple device in your pocket and one click 800 voltage of electricity will buckle the LOWLIFE ANIMALS knees and bring them to the floor.

Sure it seems harsh but no one will ever tough your phone again but yourself. If you leave it somewhere DON,T. TOUCH will track the idiot who picked it up and passed out to the hospital.

Please help me my fellow bloggers i know Apple can use this application and so can you.

[Thinkingman New Media]

09:56 PM on 06/08/2010

I hope you’re joking—both about the concept, and the idea that this would really work, considering that there’s no such thing as any sort of electrical emission device on any model of iPhone, or any model of phone whatsoever.

[HBHB]

06:27 PM on 06/08/2010

Only proves that drones don't produce, comfortable happy workers do. I never understood the concept of things like dress codes. If I'm doing better and more productive work wearing shorts instead of wearing a suit why wouldn't you push me to wear shorts more often?

[EvasDaddy]

06:54 PM on 06/08/2010

Um, because there are 3000 people waiting outside to take your job?

[americancolonyinhell]

04:38 PM on 06/08/2010

Plus, if you're a fan of industrial design, you can't help but love the look of Apple Products. According to Wikipedia, a Londoner named Jonathan Ive is responsible for the look and feel of the IPad, IPhone, IPod, MacBook, IMac. Mindblowing, life-enhancing stuff comes out of Apple.

[americancolonyinhell]

04:35 PM on 06/08/2010

I'm a big fan. Americans should be proud of Apple.

[DavidATolucaLake]

02:59 PM on 06/08/2010

John Sculley is the typical CORPORATE suit.
This is why they produce unimaginative things like the American made automobile (no style), Dockers, and Pepsi.

What he and those like him don't get, is that being creative IS doing things DIFFERENT.
And you cant teach that at Harvard Business School. You either got it, or you don't.

[TheDodoBird]

01:13 PM on 06/08/2010

Apple has really done good for themselves. I remember the old Apple computers, the classics. My uncle and father own a printing business, and all they ever used were apples. It was looking like for a while that they would have to switch due to Microsofts dominance, but then in the late 90's there was the bounce back, and now, Apples are to computers what Mercedes Benz is to cars. Way to go Apple!

[crayola 08b]

01:29 PM on 06/08/2010

i made the same apple mercedes analogy a few days ago and omg did it rile up the apple haters. hehe:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/google-bans-microsoft-win_n_595783.html?page=6&show_comment_id=49036237#comment_49036237

:)

[jackbutler5555]

04:28 PM on 06/08/2010

The Benz is a pretty, overpriced, and unreliable.

The Mac is a pretty, overpriced, reliable, and user-friendly.

[Dukedraven]

12:42 PM on 06/08/2010

Big mistake. I still remember when it happened. I'm glad Jobs got the last laugh.

[Animal Farm Resident]

12:38 PM on 06/08/2010

Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited while imagination embraces the entire world.
-- Albert Einstein

I am sure Sculley read this when he was young... but the 'suit' made him forget. Oh well... thankfully the history will not forget his misstep though.

[StanAccrington]

11:17 AM on 06/08/2010

"Now, however, Sculley sees Jobs as a visionary"

What tremendous insight.

Sculley of the 80's == Carly Fiorina of today. Empty vessels, in it for themselves.

[naturallight]

11:42 AM on 06/08/2010

Steve Jobs hangs out with David Rockefeller? YUCK! Anyone want to buy a used Iphone really cheep?

[StanAccrington]

11:16 AM on 06/08/2010

Who cares? Sculley is to tech as Sarah Palin is to intelligence.

[AVAgainstFascism]

11:06 AM on 06/08/2010

The irony of their story with Apple is, of course, Jobs recruited Sculley with the legendary line, "Do you want to sell sugar water, or do you want to change the world?" Sculley's contributions were dwarfed by Jobs. Wouldn't blame Jobs a bit for holding the grudge.

[Antifascist-08]

12:08 PM on 06/08/2010

Scully wasn't hired for his visionary abilities. He was needed to do some marketing. It didn't work out. Life changes. Now it is a great story.

[AVAgainstFascism]

09:34 PM on 06/08/2010

Don't think I implied Sculley was anything but a marketing wiz. Most know. Life does change, but shirts like Sculley seldom do. And they're a dime a dozen in the corporate strata. People like Jobs, as Apple's learned, come along once in a lifetime.

[BushSmahers]

03:23 AM on 06/09/2010

The problem was he led Apple as if he were selling sugar water and Jobs was getting in the way.