The FBI has released its file on Steven Paul Jobs, the late Apple founder, compiled mostly during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. According to the The Vault description, “In 1991, Jobs was considered for an appointed position on the U.S. President’s Export Council. This release consists of the FBI’s 1991 background investigation of Jobs for that position and a 1985 investigation of a bomb threat against him.” The background check includes tidbits like, “Several individuals questioned Mr. Jobs’ honesty stating that Mr. Jobs will twist the truth and distort reality in order to achieve his goals.”
On the same page (38), Jobs’s “past drug use” is mentioned. Those interviewed “also commented that, in the past, Mr. Jobs was not supportive of [name redacted] (the mother of his child born out of wedlock) and their daughter; however, recently has become more supportive.”
There are 191 pages in all, so it’s shorter than reading his biography, but might be more fun because it includes some digging.
Update: A deeper look at the files (page 149 specifically) reveals that between 1988 and 1990, Jobs had a “Top Secret” security clearance associated with Pixar. Why? It doesn’t say exactly, but in 1990, right before his clearance was terminated, Pixar sold its Image Computer unit to Vicom Systems Inc., which “develops and manufactures image processing systems that are sold to the medical, military, industry-automation and inspection markets,” so it could very well have to do with the sale of Pixar hardware to a military contractor.
John Cook at Gawker is also taking a close look at the file.
