TMCnet Feature

Many have described Steve Jobs (News - Alert) as a visionary who was highly demanding of employees during his reign at Apple. But some details on Steve Jobs’ personal life have come out this week following the release of FBI files.

Former colleagues told agents that Jobs had fathered a baby out of wedlock and experimented with recreational drugs as a young man, according to allegations contained in the FBI files. The Associated Press reported that Jobs was said to have abandoned the baby and the mother, but later became more involved with their lives.

“One person told FBI agents the Apple (News - Alert) co-founder's enormous power caused him to lose sight of honesty and integrity, leading him to distort the truth,” according to The AP report. The FBI cited in its report someone who said Jobs would “distort the truth to get his way.”

"Mr. Jobs alienated a lot of people at (Apple) as a result of his ambition," an FBI agent’s summary added, reports The AP. He was also described in the FBI report as “strong willed, stubborn, hardworking and driven” and was said to have characteristics of “narcissism” and “shallowness.”

The FBI documents were released Thursday based on 1991 interviews conducted when Jobs was considered for a presidential appointment. Overall, there were many compliments for Jobs and for his “character and integrity” in the series of interviews. The colleagues generally supported him for the government position. In addition, some said he was “honest” while others disagreed.

Eventually, Jobs was named a member of the President's Export Council under the administration of President George H.W. Bush. The export council advises the president on trade policy.

Among the items in the FBI report was that Jobs earned a GPA of 2.65 at Homestead High School in Cupertino, Calif., which he attended from September 1968 until June 1972, according to a report from The Christian Science Monitor. It was also revealed that Jobs was notified in 1985 there was a bomb in his home. The threat turned out to be false, The Monitor reported. It was also reported that Jobs was familiar with Asian religion and culture, something that was seen to be a plus for his role on the export council. It was discovered, too, that people who lived near Jobs really liked him, The Monitor said.

But many who worked at Apple were fearful of Jobs even if they knew he would be correct in his views. “Earlier in his tenure, Jobs was known for screaming at employees,” according to a report last year from TechZone 360. “His tantrums became legendary … throughout the [Silicon] Valley,” according to an article on Jobs appearing on the  Harvard Business Review blog.