<img alt=\"What was from Next, the company founded by Steve Jobs by leaving Apple and ended up being his salvation\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/6810a5\/steve-jobs-next-2\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nMeanwhile, George Lucas\u2019s personal life was in disarray. His marriage to \u00a0Marcia Lucas\u00a0\u2014who won an Oscar for her work on \u00a0Star Wars\u00a0\u2014collapsed, leading to a divorce in 1983. This complex divorce process forced Lucas to part with $50 million, which resulted in the need to sell assets.<\/p>\n
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To minimize the impact on his production studio, Lucas chose to sell off departments, including the \u00a0computer graphics division\u00a0 where Catmull, Smith, and Lasseter worked.<\/p>\n
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\n\n\n\n <img alt=\"Steve Jobs wanted to hire \"Professional managers\" for Apple: it was a disaster because they only knew how to manage, not lead\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/8c3189\/gestores-profesionales\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nSteve Jobs Enters the Scene<\/h2>\n
In 1985, Steve Jobs had been fired from \u00a0Apple\u00a0, the company he co-founded, and was on the lookout for new ventures. When he found out that George Lucas was interested in selling his computer division, he saw a golden opportunity.<\/p>\n
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Initially, Lucas asked for \u00a0$30 million\u00a0 for the department. Jobs negotiated down to approximately \u00a0$5 million\u00a0, which led Lucas to reject the offer as too low. Even \u00a0Disney\u00a0 made an offer, but it was even less.<\/p>\n
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Finally, Steve Jobs made yet another offer for the \u00a0CGI division\u00a0 of \u00a0Lucasfilm\u00a0, this time proposing a \u00a0$10 million\u00a0 investment: $5 million for the technology developed and an additional $5 million to capitalize the new company. Thus, \u00a0Pixar\u00a0 was born, consisting of a small team of about \u00a040 people\u00a0, including Catmull, Smith, and Lasseter.<\/p>\n
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\n\n ![\"Pixar](\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/The-key-was-getting-a-divorce-at-the-right-moment.jpeg\"\/)
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<\/div><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\nToy Story Changed the Game<\/h2>\n
For almost a decade, Pixar struggled to produce films. Instead, the company sold hardware and software specializing in graphics and computer-generated effects, like the \u00a0Pixar Image Computer\u00a0, which targeted niche markets in the medical and graphic industries. Unfortunately, this focus left Pixar unprofitable, pushing Jobs to the brink of closing the company multiple times.<\/p>\n
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Salvation came through an alliance with Disney. Pixar agreed to produce three fully animated films, the first of which was \u00a0Toy Story\u00a0 (1995). This groundbreaking film not only revolutionized the animation industry but also grossed \u00a0$360 million\u00a0 worldwide, serving as a critical and financial success.<\/p>\n
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To capitalize on this triumph, Pixar’s stock soared to \u00a0$39\u00a0 on the first day of trading, instantly making Steve Jobs a billionaire. It marked his first significant business victory after his exit from Apple.<\/p>\n
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Thanks to Pixar\u2019s monumental success, Jobs regained his reputation as a technological visionary, providing the confidence and clout needed to return as CEO of Apple by 1997. Yet, his journey with Pixar was far from over.<\/p>\n
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For years, Pixar operated independently, although its films were distributed under Disney’s marketing umbrella, producing hits like \u00a0Finding Nemo\u00a0 and \u00a0Cars\u00a0.<\/p>\n
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In 2006, \u00a0Disney\u00a0 acquired Pixar for \u00a0$7.4 billion\u00a0 in stock, providing Jobs with \u00a0138 million shares\u00a0, or \u00a07%\u00a0 of Disney. This deal made him the largest private shareholder in Disney and earned him a seat on its board of directors. That 7% of shares is now valued at approximately \u00a0$15.57 billion\u00a0\u2014a remarkable return on his initial \u00a0$10 million\u00a0 investment.<\/p>\n
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In essence, Steve Jobs’s venture into Pixar not only reshaped the animation industry but also played a critical role in his narrative of resilience and success after being ousted from Apple. It served as both a creative and financial cornerstone in his remarkable career.<\/p>\n
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Image | Flickr (David Geller<\/a>), Wikimedia Commons (Achanhk, Coolcaesar)<\/a><\/p>\n