Letters show just how tight Steve Jobs and Bill Clinton were

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Steve Jobs and wife Laurene Powell Jobs in the Oval Office.
Steve Jobs and wife Laurene Powell Jobs in the Oval Office.
Photo: Clinton Presidential Library

A batch of newly released files is shedding some light on the relationship between Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Jobs and Clinton were known to be buddies for years, but details of their relationship have been scarce. Now a set of documents from the Clinton Presidential Library has revealed some of the letters the two exchanged. In one note, Steve Jobs even goes so far as to make some cabinet post recommendations to Clinton. the two.

The set of documents obtained by Gizmodo show Clinton and Jobs writing each other letters during Bill’s presidency. STeve Jobs made a number of official visits to the White House over the years and even gave President Clinton an early screening of A Bug’s Life at Camp David in Maryland.

Jobs’ cabinet picks

In the newly unearthed exchanges, Jobs sent Clinton a letter in November 1996 congratulating him on his re-election. Jobs then goes on to make two “crazy suggestions” on who he should appoint to his cabinet. Dean Ornish — an author of a number of fad diets — should be the Surgeon General and former Intel CEO Andy Grove would be a fine Secretary of Defense, suggested Jobs.

“Yes, Dean has inhaled (and more), which will create some problems. He would, however, be supported by many people who’s lives he has dramatically improved and in some cases saved. This group of supporters includes many corporate executives who have been spared major surgery. Dean is at the forefront of answering many of the basic questions concerning “How does diet affect health?”, and these answers could greatly affect the health of our nation and eventually tens of billions of dollars of our agricultural economy (beef, poultry and dairy industries, to name a few). Dean is not only a “physician’s physician”; he is incredibly articulate and has the firm moral fiber necessary to withstand the challenges he faces from entrenched interests threatened by his new findings. I know that you are well acquainted with Dean, and trust that he will not be lost among more “traditional” candidates for this super-important job.”

Clinton responded about a month later thanking Jobs for his recommendations but said he already had other people for the posts.

When Bill’s daughter Chelsea was going to Stanford, he and Hillary would stay in Steve Jobs’ extra house in Woodside, California. Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steve Jobs revealed that Steve’s wife Laureen Powell Jobs would have the vacant house furnished during their stays by calling art dealers to come and temporarily furnish it.

A number of other notes between Jobs and Clinton can be seen over at Gizmodo. There are also a number of pictures of Steve in the Oval Office and at a state dinner party.

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