If you think the man in the picture above looks familiar, there’s a good reason. His name is Abdulfattah John Jandali. He’s the biological father of Steve Jobs who put him up for adoption over fifty years ago, and to this day, he hasn’t spoken on the phone with his son to tell him he’s proud of him.
Born in Syria, Jandali is the president of a casino chain located in Reno Nevada. A self-proclaimed workaholic trying to avoid retirement, Jandali says that he is “overcome with guilt for his treatment of Jobs and only learned recently that the child he gave up for adoption” was the founder of Apple.
“I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t sadden me not to have been part of my son’s incredible journey,” Jandali said.
According to Jandali, he would have kept Jobs and raised him as his own son.
“I honestly do not know to this day if Steve is aware of the fact that had it been my choice, I would have loved to have kept him,” he said.
“I think after we got back together, Joanne [Steve’s biological mother] had second thoughts about adoption, but by then, there was nothing we could do about it.”
So now that he knows, will Jandali reach out to his brilliant, famous, powerful and sadly ill son?
No. According to Jandali, “I am not prepared, even if either of us was on our deathbeds, to pick up the phone to call him.
“Now I just live in hope that, before it is too late, he will reach out to me, because even to have just one coffee with him just once would make me a very happy man,” he said.
It’s very sad that he was separated from a son he wanted to keep for many years, but says “Syrian pride” prevents him from giving his son a call and telling him he’s proud of him. That seems sadly misguided to me.
At least he gives credit where credit is due when Jobs’ adoptive parents are concerned. “Let’s face it: they seem to have done an incredible job,” he says. I’ll say!
[via New York Post]
