Coming Next Week, The Big Apple Interview

1:01 pm, November 5th, 2009, Leander Kahney

mystery_interview

If you liked Wednesday’s interview with Apple ad man Ken Segall, just wait until you see what we’ve got coming next week.

We have an exclusive interview with one of the top people in the Apple story. I’d say they were number 3: the third most influential person in Apple’s history.

This is the first time they spoken publicly about Apple in many, many years. They have some good stories, a lot of fascinating insights, and a couple of surprises.

Can you guess who it is?

Posted by Leander Kahney in Apple, Interviews, News | Comment on this article

About the author

Leander Kahney is senior editor of Cult of Mac, editor of two books about technology culture, Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, and has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Observer in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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36 comments

Woz? No he’s the 2nd guy… Umm… He’s active at Apple?

Ronald, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm

Jean-Louis Gassee?
John Sculley?
Jon Rubinstein?
Someone whose name isn’t a variant on “John”?

Pete Mortensen, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm

John Sculley is a no-nothing businessman
Jon Rubenstein … yawn

Gazoobee, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

Scott Forstall perhaps?

Maybe Phil Schiller, he’s been trying to get in touch with this community ..

pete, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm

My bet’s on Avi.

NickBob, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

Mark Markkula?
Mike Scott?
John Sculley?

or are we talking just Macintosh? Any of the people who signed the inside of the Mac 128, including but not limited to, Bill Atkinson, Chris Espinosa, Bill Fernadez, Andy Hertzfeld, Joanna Hoffman, Bruce Horn, Steve Capps, Dan Kottke, Jerry Manock, Burrell Smith, Guy Tribble, Randy Wigginton?

then we have the people who have had a big hand in making it a success:
Guy Kowasaki, Paul Brainerd at Aldus, John Warnock at Adobe, Bill Gates (ironically) etc, etc.

How long would you like the list to be?

Marky Mark, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:36 pm

I like Scott, but obviously he’s not the 3rd!! and neither is Phil.

and if you interview “John Sculley”, the same guy who fired Jobs, as Apple’s third most influential, I’ll stop reading “Cult of Mac”; seriously.

who could it be? It couldn’t be Ive either… I never thought selecting someone as Apple’s number 3 could be so hard!!!

can’t wait till ‘next week’!!

Pooria, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

the sugar water salesman is probably responsible for apple being below 5 percent market share to this day. very important and influential.

francis, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

Well, this person has hair, so it’s obviously not Jonny Ive.

foresmac, on November 5th, 2009 at 2:16 pm

Whoever it is, was he ambushed in front of a cheap chain hotel?

Gene, on November 5th, 2009 at 2:19 pm

Johnny Ive?

Lawrence, on November 5th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

I’m willing to bet on my NeXT Tubo setup (pizzabox/21inch pixel display + NeXT Laser Printer) that it’s Avi. I and another friend of mine many years ago had drinks with him, very nice and very cool/laid-back guy…..we didn’t even talk about Apple, computers or technology, but instead it was sports.

Invictus, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:12 pm

Its me!

Phil Schiller, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

i think its STEVE woz

inailuy, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

My guess is the first or second big investors in Apple. I don’t have access to that info but either one of them would be my guess.

OlsonBW, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

It’s either Scotty or MM.

CaryMG, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

It’s gotta be Ive.

Jason, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Description would be appropriate for MM = Mike Markkula who was Apple employee number 3 and the person who Woz credited for the success of Apple more than himself. [see Jason Zasky, "The Failure Interview: Apple Computer Co-Founder Steve Wozniak"]. MM was their initial investor without whose seed money they wouldn’t have been able to get off the ground when they did. In return he was initially 1/3rd owner of Apple in the early days.

PChez, on November 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Can you guess that I don’t care?

skids544, on November 5th, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Gil Ameilio?? Ok ok I’m joking…I’m joking!!!!!

mcal27, on November 5th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

Based on photo background & profile more so than your hints: I’m guessing Ron Johnson head of retail.

DocIzzy, on November 5th, 2009 at 6:00 pm

Personally i’d edge towards Jony Ive. But if we’re going by the picture it looks like Bertrand Serlet.

colin, on November 5th, 2009 at 7:08 pm

My guess is also on Mike Markkula.

GugurDaun, on November 5th, 2009 at 7:38 pm

Considering that it comes right after a story about an Apple Store opening in France, I am going to say Bertand Serlet….

pdmcmahon, on November 5th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

My bet is Ronald Wayne.

Bertrand, on November 5th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

Sina Tamaddon????

asdf, on November 5th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

the picture cut out looks like a good head of hair. my guess ron johnson fo sho.

mat, on November 5th, 2009 at 9:58 pm

Bud Tribble

jon1, on November 5th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

Woz

jazzyl, on November 6th, 2009 at 12:43 am

I go for Ron Wayne, in the sense of “third”, or Guy “best friggin’ evangelist evah” Kawasaki.

Andrea, on November 6th, 2009 at 5:26 am

Oh gosh I guess it must be that umm VP guy, that wossaname .. Wookie Woo. Right?
You are a senior editor and you say ‘This is the first time they spoken publicly about Apple’. Jesus wept! So you don’t believe in editing your own work? Or perhaps you don’t know what an editor does?

chano, on November 6th, 2009 at 10:17 am

Bertrand Serlet… the hair cut