Steve Jobs gave secretary brand new Jaguar worth $35,000 hours after she made honest admission
Published on Jun 19, 2025 at 6:49 PM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Jun 19, 2025 at 6:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Steve Jobs might be one of the most famous human beings to ever live.
The San Francisco native was best known as the co-founder of Apple.
Jobs was renowned for his intensity while serving as Apple’s CEO.
But a story of his incredible generosity came to light after his passing.
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Steve Jobs: The man who changed the world
Steve Jobs is the textbook definition of a household name.
As a child, he struggled with traditional educational settings.
In fact, despite his extraordinary intelligence, he dropped out of college after just one semester.
But he had a good reason – he didn’t believe in spending his adopted parents’ money on an education he didn’t believe in.
Steve Jobs actually first met Steve Wozniak in 1968, as both attended Homestead High School.
After spending some time at Atari as a technician, Jobs and Wozniak joined forces and started working on their passion.
By March 1976, Wozniak had completed the basic design of the Apple I computer.

By the time he turned 25, Jobs was estimated to be worth over $250 million.
He was – and remains one of the youngest people ever to make the Forbes rich list.
The Apple founder was also one of the rare handful of people to achieve this without any inherited wealth.
The face of Apple displays incredible kindness – with a Jaguar
Despite his fame and global presence, Jobs remained an extremely private and mysterious figure.
He was famed for his lifelong dedication and commitment to Apple.
Stories would emerge of him overseeing the smallest pixel changes on Apple displays.
However, a story emerged a few years ago of Jobs’ incredible kindness and charity.
Ron Givens served as Apple’s director of quality from 1981 to 1986.
He recalled the story of how one day, an Apple secretary shuffled in late to work one morning.
The founder stormed over to the secretary, demanding to know why she was late.
The secretary admitted to Jobs that her car had died that morning on her way to work.
“That afternoon, he walks into her office, tosses a set of keys to a brand-new Jaguar, and says, ‘Here, don’t be late anymore,'” Givens said.

Back in 1981, a Jaguar XJ cost around $35,000.
That would make his gift worth around $123,000 in today’s money.
Givens’ interview made headline news across the world, and it painted a fascinating picture.
Because Givens’ story offered a unique insight into a demanding, yet extremely generous, and much-missed CEO.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.