[3:30 PM] Gates, McNealy, Dell Play 2nd, 10th, and 11th Fiddle To Steve Jobs
by Staff
Upside Today has completed a series of the Top 100 most important tech industry people, and guess who showed up in the number 1 position. Heading an impressive list of luminaries, Steve Jobs beat the likes of Bill Gates, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, Scott MacNealy, Chairman and CEO of Sun Microsystems, and Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell COmputer. There were about 96 other people that Mr. Jobs beat out as well. According to Upside today:
As we prepare to ring in the new millennium and bid farewell to 1999, the editors at Upside toast the movers and shakers that brought us a year of successes, innovations, mergers and buyouts. To create the ultimate guest list, we contemplated the usual invitees and newcomers as well. As we waded through the new names and old faces, we looked past the smart tailored suits and strings of pearls they wore to put their best foot forward, and we judged each guest against his or her fellow digerati. "Who really matters most?" was our question. The result: a commanding roster of the most important participants in the New Economy. Join us as we tip our hats to the 1999 Elite 100 and celebrate the exciting year that has passed--and the one yet to come.
#11 Michael Dell
Chairman and CEO, Dell Computer
Dell's continually fine-tuned direct sales model has Big Blue and other traditional PC vendors green with envy. The 34-year-old's status as the fifth-richest man in the US has the rest of us green, too.
#10 Scott McNealy
Cofounder, Chairman and CEO, Sun Microsystems
He initially set up fort in the server camp, but recently he has been busy scheming how to create a PC-less planet with Sun's Java-based smart phones and Jini digital networks.
#2 Bill Gates
Chairman and CEO, Microsoft
Although Gates spent most of this year bickering with the US and state governments, Microsoft still managed to cash in on another $200 billion, solidify its grasp on the PC and Net markets, and continue to branch out into new devices.
#1 Steve Jobs
Cofounder and Interim CEO, Apple Computer, Chairman and CEO, Pixar Animation Studios
He's the computer industry's John McEnroe, best known by the media for his tantrums and cocky attitude. But even though he's a poor sport, Jobs' marketing savvy has made Apple's colorful computers as fashionable as The Gap's cargo khakis--and made the competition nervous about its bland boxes.
The rest of the list is also very interesting and we recommend that you check it out. Other ex-Apple members of the list include Ellen Hancock, #66, former CTO of Apple under Gil Amelio and Guy Kawasaki, #84, former Mac Evangelist for Apple and current CEO of Garage.com. Larry Ellison, #37, current Apple Board member and all around "interesting" person, also made the list.
The Mac Observer Spin: It is always amazing how a company the size of Apple generates so much mainstream press attention. Thanks to Steve Jobs, that attention has been almost entirely positive for most of the last 14 months. Mr. Jobs beat out some of the wealthiest people on the planet. In addition to Mr. Gates, the world's wealthiest person, Mr. Jobs took out Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's 2nd in command and another of the world's wealthiest people. Mt. Jobs also beat out the commanders of companies whose sales and marketshare far surpass that of Apple's.
One other note: Mr. Jobs's position at Pixar was also listed (and therefore considered), but the write up concentrated on his success at Apple.
Congratulations to Apple!
Upside Today Article
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