A father he never knew, a love-child he once denied and a sister he only met as an adult: The tangled family of Steve Jobs... and who could inherit hi

-Apple co-founder survived by two sisters, wife and their three children
-But he also had love child Lisa Brennan-Jobs with Chrisann Brennan
-His Syrian biological father never had conversation with Jobs as an adult

By Mark Duell


Husband and wife: Steve Jobs leans his forehead against his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, after delivering the keynote address at an Apple conference in San Francisco, California, in June

Steve Jobs's tangled family of a forgotten father, long-lost sister and love child means lawyers may face a delicate task breaking up his $8.3billion fortune.

The 56-year-old co-founder and former CEO of Apple is widely seen as one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs - and he died just outside the top 100 world’s richest billionaires.

But behind the iconic Californian's wealth and fame lies an extraordinary story of a fragmented family


Mr Jobs, of Palo Alto, California, is survived by his sisters Patti Jobs and Mona Simpson, his wife Laurene Powell Jobs and their three children Eve, Erin and Reed.


But his family is far from straightforward. He was adopted as a baby and, despite his biological father's attempts to contact him later on, remained estranged from his natural parents.

In his early twenties Mr Jobs became embroiled in a family scandal before his days of close media scrutiny, after he fathered a love child with his high school sweetheart Chrisann Brennan.

Ms Brennan, who was his first serious girlfriend, became pregnant in 1977 - and he at first denied he was the father.

She gave birth to Lisa Brennan-Jobs in 1978 - and in the same year Mr Jobs created the 'Lisa' computer, but insisted it only stood for 'Local Integrated Software Architecture'.

The mother initially raised their daughter on benefits. But he accepted his responsibilities two years later after a court-ordered blood test proved he was the father, despite his claims of being 'infertile'.

Relatives: Mr Jobs did not meet his biological sister Mona Simpson, left, until he was aged 27. Lisa Brennan-Jobs, right, was his love child with longtime girlfriend Chrisann Brennan in 1978

Ms Brennan-Jobs has made a living for herself, after graduating from Harvard University, as a journalist and writer.

She was eventually invited into her father's life as a teenager and told Vogue that she 'lived with him for a few years'.

'In California, my mother had raised me mostly alone,' Lisa wrote in an article for Vogue in 2008. 'We didn’t have many things, but she is warm and we were happy. We moved a lot. We rented.

'My father was rich and renowned, and later, as I got to know him, went on vacations with him, and then lived with him for a few years, I saw another, more glamorous world.'

Biological dad: Abdulfattah Jandali, 80, a casino boss, has said he wanted to meet his son but was worried about calling him in case Mr Jobs thought he was after money

Mr Jobs was born to Joanne Simpson and Syrian student Abdulfattah Jandali before being given up for adoption.

Mr Jandali was a Syrian student and not married to Ms Simpson at the time of Mr Jobs's birth in San Francisco, California, in February 1955.

She did not want to bring up a child out of wedlock and went to San Francisco from their home in Wisconsin to have the baby.

Mr Jobs is thought never to have made contact with his biological father.

Mr Jandali, 80, a casino boss, has said he wanted to meet his son but was worried if Mr Jobs thought he was after money.

Tributes: Flowers adorn the sidewalk outside the home of Steve Jobs in Palo Alto, California, today

He had always hoped that his son would call him to make contact - and had emailed him a few times in an attempt to speak. Mr Jandali once said he 'cannot believe' his son created so many gadgets.

'This might sound strange, though, but I am not prepared, even if either of us was on our deathbeds, to pick up the phone to call him,' he said.

Ms Simpson and Mr Jandali then had a second child called Mona Simpson, who became a novelist.

Ms Simpson is an author who once wrote a book loosely based on her biological brother. She lives in Santa Monica, California, with her two children and was once married to producer Richard Appel.

Couple: He met his wife Laurene Powell in 1989 while speaking at Stanford's graduate business school and he had three children with her - Eve, Erin and Reed

But Mr Jobs did not actually meet Ms Simpson until he was aged 27. He never wanted to explain how he tracked down his sister, but she described their relationship as 'close'.

Mr Jobs was adopted by working-class couple Clara and Paul Jobs, who have both since died, but they also later adopted a second child - Patti Jobs.

He later had the Ms Brennan-Jobs love child with his longtime girlfriend Ms Brennan in 1978.

He met his wife Laurene Powell in 1989 while speaking at Stanford's graduate business school and he had three children with her - Eve, Erin and Reed.

Residence: Apple co-founder Mr Jobs lived in this home estimated at $2.6million in Palo Alto, California

They married in 1991 and Reed was born soon after. He is their oldest child, aged 20.

Mr Jobs registered an incredible 338 U.S. patents or patent applications for technology and electronic accessories, reported the International Business Times.

He was believed to have driven a 2007 Mercedes Benz SL55 AMG, which was worth around $130,000 new at the time.

His 5,700 sq ft home was a 1930s Tudor-style property with seven bedrooms and four bathrooms - and it is estimated by CNBC to be worth $2.6million.

Mr Jobs also owned a huge historic Spanish colonial home in Woodside, which had 14 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, located across six acres of forested land.

Steve Jobs: The 56-year-old co-founder and former CEO of Apple is widely seen as one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs - and he also died just outside the top 100 world's richest billionaires


But he later had it knocked down to make way for a smaller property after a long legal battle.

His charitable giving has always been a secret topic, just like most other elements of his lifestyle.

Mr Jobs reportedly declined to get involved with the Giving Pledge - founded by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates to get the wealthiest people to give away at least half of their wealth.

But he is rumoured to have given $150million to the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California in San Francisco, reported the New York Times.

It is cancer organisations that are most likely to be supported if any charities are in his will, as he died on Wednesday at the age of 56 from the pancreatic form of the illness.


source:dailymail