Steve Jobs almost joined such Neo-Arthurian luminaries as Sir Elton Hercules John, Sir Robert of Hope and Dame Kylie Minogue, according to a former Labour Party politician, who says that the Apple CEO was almost offered a knighthood back in 2009 for his services to technology.
According to the former senior British MP, although the argument for Jobs’ knighthood was compelling, the Apple boss’ impolitic inscrutability ultimately cut him out of getting the war.
Although the suggestions for knighthood reached the final stages of approval, at the end of the day, Steve Jobs was irrefutably blocked by Downing Street because Jobs had once refused to attend an annual Labour conference, which would have been seen as a big political win for then-current Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Why was Jobs considered?
Apple has been the only major global company to create stunning consumer products because it has always taken design as the key component of everything it has produced. No other CEO has consistently shown such a commitment.
If it hadn’t been blocked, Jobs still wouldn’t be the first American to be a British Knight, or even the first tech magnate: Bill Gates won in 2005. However, due to his lack of British citizenship, he still wouldn’t be allowed to go around, belligerently demanding strangers to refer to him as “Sir Steve,” a la Ben Kingsley.
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
16 responses to “Steve Jobs Almost Received An Honourary Knighthood”
Gordon Brown was a prat and a failure.
Sir Steve…. almost sounds as good as King Ralph.
Sir Steve…. almost sounds as good as King Ralph.
Well I hope he’s offered an honourary knighthood in the near future before it’s too late. As a British citizen I’d be happy to see him given it. :)
Be great if in many decades time Jonathan Ive’s CBE is upgraded to a knighthood for his long term contributions to industrial design. :D
He was rejected because he refused to help Gordon Brown? That should have increased his chances if anything!
“the Apple boss’ impolitic inscrutability ultimately cut him out of getting the war.”
Getting the war?
I ALMOST won the lottery
Interesting and informative post
For more great posts:
Cheap Hosting
Cash Back
Blog
Blogging
Spyware
What kind of knighthood isn’t “honourary”?