When Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the once-denied daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, published her memoir Small Fry in 2018, the world saw a side of Jobs far different from the polished visionary known for revolutionizing modern technology.
In a revealing excerpt published by Vanity Fair, Lisa described a childhood haunted by fear and rejection shaped by a father who repeatedly refused to acknowledge her as his daughter.
Denied at Birth: “I Am Infertile,” Jobs Told The Court
In 1978, when his then-girlfriend Chrisann Brennan became pregnant, the 23-year-old Steve Jobs refused to marry her or accept the child. Despite co-founding Apple and rapidly rising to success, he left mother and daughter living in poverty.
Shockingly, Lisa writes that Steve Jobs even testified in court that he was infertile, insisting he couldn’t have children.
Yet in 1991, Steve Jobs married Laurene Powell and went on to have three more children, contradicting his earlier claims.
It was only after a DNA test proved his paternity that he began providing financial support for Lisa.
“I Was a Stain on His Image”
In her memoir, Lisa reflects: “To him, I was like a blemish something that didn’t match the noble and virtuous image he wanted. My existence ruined the vision he had of himself.”
Although Jobs occasionally visited, their relationship remained strained. In 1983, Apple released its first GUI-based computer named LISA. At the time, Jobs denied any connection, claiming the name stood for “Local Integrated Software Architecture.”
Lisa recalls: “I didn’t care about computers, but I loved the idea of being connected to my father through that name.”
Years later, during a visit to Bono’s home, the U2 frontman asked Jobs directly whether the computer had been named after Lisa. Jobs hesitated, then finally nodded.
Lisa remembers whispering to Bono: “That’s the first time he admitted it.”
A Father Both Brilliant and Brutal
Lisa feared that readers would see only the cruel version of Jobs from the memoir’s selected excerpts. She recounted harsh memories:
- Jobs banned her from seeing her mother for six months
- He refused to give her money, despite his enormous wealth
- He left her room without heating
- He once told her she would receive nothing from his fortune
According to Business Insider, the memoir confirmed what many already suspected: Jobs’ brilliance was matched by a cutting harshness even toward his own daughter.
Yet Lisa insists the book is not meant as revenge. She emphasizes that while Jobs could be cold, he also had charming, elegant, and warm moments.
The Redemption: An Apology and a Final Gift
In an interview with The New York Times, Lisa revealed that her father apologized to her in the final days before his death: “He said he was sorry for abandoning me and not being present while I grew up.”
Despite once refusing her emotionally and financially, Steve Jobs made a surprising final gesture: He left Lisa a substantial inheritance in his will a symbolic act of late reconciliation.
Steve Jobs’ widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, issued a public response to the memoir: “Lisa is part of our family. We were saddened to read what was written in the book.”
She added: “Steve loved Lisa, and he regretted not being the father he should have been. We were grateful he spent his last years together with her as a family.”
Steve Jobs remains a towering figure who changed the world—reviving Apple, saving thousands of jobs, and reshaping modern technology. But Small Fry reminds readers that even geniuses carry flaws and unresolved wounds.
Lisa Brennan-Jobs, whose very name became part of Apple’s history, ultimately found peace by confronting the painful truths many never knew.
Sources: Business Insider,The Guardian,Vanity Fair
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