Steve Jobs may have been a technological revolutionary, but his legacy will not be remembered in a Paris street name. Left-leaning politicians didn't want to see his name around in a new tech startup campus.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/J. G. Mabanglo
Advertisement
Steve Job's name was one of several famous figures from the technology industry proposed to adorn new streets in a future tech startup campus in the French capital.
The socialist local district mayor, Jerome Coumet, had proposed naming one of the new roads "Rue Steve Jobs," but the name of the former CEO of Apple, who died in 2011, didn't even make it to the voting booths after objections from communists and ecologists.
The suggestion of Jobs had not received unanimous backing, according to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's first deputy, Bruno Julliard.
Doubtful legacy?
He explained the American's name was dropped from the Paris Council vote "in the spirit of a tradition of compromise."
Opponents had hit out at Steve Job's "legacy of insufficient wages, forced overtime for Apple subcontractors and use of illegal tax arrangements."
Instead, roads in the new tech hub will now be named after Ada Lovelace, widely regarded as the first computer programmer, computer scientist Karen Sparck Jones and Eugene Freyssinet, a structural and civil engineer.
Five years ago: From Steve to Tim
Five years ago, US tech giant Apple started a new era as Tim Cook took over the reins from the legendary Steve Jobs. Has the new CEO at the helm of the world's most valuable firm made a difference? We believe he has.
Image: Getty Images/J. Sullivan
The rise of the iPhone
Tim Cook's name is clearly associated with promoting the smartphone boom worldwide. Under him, the iPhone has become Apple's most important product. The Cupertino-based company recently reported the sale of its one-billionth smartphone. The iconic gadget accounts for up to two-thirds of the firm's earnings.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Edelson
No time to waste
It was to be feared that any other new product would pale besides the iPhone. But the Apple Watch, which Cook unveiled in 2014, has managed to stand its ground. The CEO is keeping mum about sales figures, but analysts estimate 1.5 million units are sold every quarter, also creating substantial profits.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Cowie
Losing direction
Not every foray Tim Cook made into enlarging the company's product range proved a success, though. Take Apple Maps. The Web mapping service launched in 2012. Users back then were not amused because of the many bugs it "featured." The app also completely ignored the needs of people using public transportation.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Kleinschmidt
Happy investors
Only a year into his time as Apple's CEO, Cook decided to change some vital aspects of the firm's corporate culture. Among other things, he said good-bye to the policy of unconditional cash hoarding and announced shareholders would be paid a dividend - for the first time in 17 years! Apple's cash reserves have swollen further to some $232 billion (205 billion euros) all the same.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Investing in the future
Like his predecessor, Cook doesn't want to leave anything to chance. And he wants to make sure Apple doesn't miss out on any major tech developments. To secure a bit of the promising music streaming business, the firm shelled out $3 billion to take over Beats. It also invested another billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing and a lot more money in the Siri voice assistant.
