Steve Jobs, the charismatic founder of Apple and Pixar, was a man who changed not only the way computers are made and marketed, but also popularized a number of novel products, such as the iPhone and the iPad, which made buyers form long lines outside Apple stores and the competition always play catch-up.
Sadly, Jobs passed away on October 5 at the age of 56. After his death, one of the rumors circulating the web was that of his car’s number plate – or rather its absence.
Some said that he didn’t care about paying the fines, as he surely could afford to, while others claimed that he had somehow obtained a special permit to drive without one.
Jon Callas, who had worked in various security positions at Apple, dismissed all those rumors and revealed the truth to iTWire.
Despite his ingenious inventions, in his personal life, Jobs liked to stick with certain things, like his famous black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers. The same thing applied to his ride: he was always seen driving a silver Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG with no number plates.
Callas said that either Jobs himself or someone close to him discovered a loophole in the California law that gave anyone with a brand-new car a period of six months to put the number plate on the vehicle.
Apparently, Jobs had made an arrangement with the leasing company in which he would change cars every six months, giving back the silver SL 55 AMG and receiving an identical new one.
In classic Jobs style, no one knew the truth or noticed the difference. Presumably, it was a sweet deal for the leasing company as well: every six months, it could put up for sale a barely used silver SL 55 AMG that had been owned by none other than Steve Jobs himself.
So hats off to Steve Jobs who discovered another clever solution even though, he didn’t give it any publicity. May he rest in peace.
