The Final Essay by Steve Jobs « StratLab Marketing
In November 2015, a rumor began circulating on social media that when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passed away at age 56 in 2011, he delivered a speech or left behind a deathbed essay about the meaning of life.
One of the earliest iterations of this rumor we've found was published on under the title "DID YOU KNOW WHAT WERE THE LAST WORDS OF STEVE JOBS?":
People know Steve Jobs for his creativity, innovation, and inspiring quotes too. So there was a lot of hype and curiosity regarding the late Apple co-founder’s last words. In 2015, rumors were circulating online that his last words were in an essay warning how the, “non-stop pursuit of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being.”
Steve Jobs Last Words | Erik Qualman
Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56, leaving behind discussions and debates about his final words. However, in over a decade since his death, social media has been abuzz with fabricated tales and fictitious essays falsely attributed to Steve Jobs, alleging to contain his final thoughts on wealth and the meaning of life. One of the false essays begins with:
However, according to his authorized biography by Walter Isaacson, also by Reuters, Steve Jobs’ last words were: “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.” These words were spoken by Jobs as he looked at his family members in his final moments.
Although Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, the above-quoted essay didn't begin circulating online until November 2015, was not published anywhere outside of unofficial social media accounts and low-traffic blogs, and has not been confirmed by anyone close to the founder of Apple.
While the above-quoted essay does not represent either Steve Jobs' final words nor remarks he made (in either oral or written form) at any time during his life, his biographer Walter Isaacson did Jobs' expressing regret at the end of his life about how he raised his children:
The Rumors—and Truth—Behind Steve Jobs Last Words
Have you read the inspirational "last words" from late Apple chief Steve Jobs? Did you take his advice - words about forsaking money in favor of family and love?
Steve Jobs Last Words | BeLimitless Blog
The background of Steve Jobs is a quintessential part of the essay, as it gives some insight into his life. The primary theme is that life is transitory and that one should not be afraid of taking chances and doing what they love. Jobs expands on this theme through his life experiences, while giving a clear message "Do What You Love". Jobs' life experiences relate to his high school and college experience, first job, love and loss, and death. He mentions that dropping out of college was one of the best decisions he ever made, as it allowed him to "drop in" to the classes that interested him. One of these classes was calligraphy, which he believes is a lost art in this day and age. Even though Jobs "had no idea what [he] wanted to do with his life," he felt that the college experience was priceless and something that he chose not to miss out on because of how the social structure. After college, Jobs founded Apple Inc. with Steve Wozniak, which led to instant and massive success. But something that Jobs fails to mention in his speech is that he was actually fired from Apple, the company he founded. But he mentions that no matter what, he still loved what he did. Coming back some years after, he helped contribute in development for the company and he went on to develop several other successful technologies (NeXT, Pixar, iPod, iPhone). He learned the hard way about falling in love, as he mentions that the only way to be truly satisfied is to do great work is to love what you do. In everything Jobs mentioned, whether it was about his successes or failures, doing what you love was something that truly spoke to him. Jobs faced many obstacles in his life but one thing it taught him was to always stay true to what he believes and never settle for less. The quote "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life" truly sums up how Jobs lived his life at the end. A message to the youth, that life is limited and it isn't worth living the life of someone else. The essay as a whole gave some very strong facts to this message and will resonate with anyone who reads it.
STEVE JOBS LAST WORDS BEFORE DEATH
Inspiring and meaningful message. However, Steve Jobs did not write or say them. I don't know who did, but they should be credited. But hey, I take what I can from this essay and try to be better every day. Not easy, as I am a human being just like everyone else.
The Rumors—And Truth—Behind Steve Jobs Last Words
the Jobs deathbed essay first surfaced in The blog's author notes that while the words were "sent to me in the name of Steve Jobs...they can't be attributed to Mr. Jobs."