Steve Jobs’ Hidden Porsche Secured a $20M Investment

Benzinga

In the early days of Apple, Steve Jobs faced a dilemma when billionaire Ross Perot was interested in investing $20 million. Jobs worried that his Porsche 911 might give the impression that Apple was already wealthy. To secure the investment, Jobs and Steve Wozniak hid the car to maintain the image of a scrappy startup. The strategy worked, and Perot's investment helped Apple grow and innovate to compete with companies like IBM. This story highlights the importance of perception in business success.

Transcript

00:00Imagine this. You're about to secure a $20 million investment that could change the future of your company.

00:06But there's one problem. Your Porsche 911 might ruin everything.

00:10It was the early days of Apple, and Steve Jobs had already made a name for himself.

00:14He drove a Porsche 911, a symbol of success.

00:18But when billionaire Ross Perot expressed interest in investing $20 million, Jobs had a sudden realization.

00:24Would Perot see the Porsche and think Apple was already too rich to need his money?

00:29In a last-minute panic, Jobs and Steve Wozniak rushed outside.

00:33Their solution? Hide the Porsche around the block, just in case Perot drove by.

00:37They wanted to make sure Apple looked like a scrappy startup,

00:40not a company run by a CEO who could already afford luxury cars.

00:45And it worked. Perot invested $20 million, giving Apple the boost it needed to compete with giants like IBM.

00:52That money helped fuel the company's explosive growth and innovation.

00:56It turns out even a visionary like Steve Jobs had to think about perception.

01:00Sometimes, success isn't about what you show, but what you choose to hide.

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