Unnecessary and irrational eccentricity or admirable genius? The line that separates one from the other can be more or less fine, and this debate is often associated with great and famous minds like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk.
In the case of the founder of Apple, throughout his 56 years of life he had time to leave a legacy of innovations and revolutionary launches and inspire with lessons to succeed and pursue happiness, as well as some controversies, craziness and eccentricities. and even an illegal business.
Several of his strange habits took place in front of a steering wheel: Steve Jobs sometimes parked in the space reserved for people with disabilities; besides, changed cars every 6 months and drove without having a license plate on the vehiclereports computer today.
Behind this custom is not found as an explanation the reality that he was a millionaire and could afford these periodic changes or that for that reason they turned a blind eye for breaking the law.
Both things are related and were within the legal field. So, how is it possible that Jobs had a new car 2 times a year (it was always a Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG in silver) without even buying them and never being fined for not having a license plate? And why was she doing it?
The illegal business of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak without which “Apple would not have existed”
The answer to the first question lies in a legal loophole that the entrepreneurial genius knew how to take advantage of: in California (USA), the state where Jobs worked and lived, there was a law that allowed driving a new car without registering for the first 6 months from your discharge date.
The Apple co-founder did not even have to buy the cars, but rather rented them from a company and returned them before the half-year period expired. In this way, legally, he could change his car every 6 months and he did not have to carry a license plate to identify him.
Regarding the second question, the reason why he did it is not so clear, although there are -opposite- theories that could explain it.
On the one hand, some voices suggest that he wanted to go unnoticed: In his biography of the billionaire businessman, Walter Isaacson suggests that Jobs wanted a license plate without a number to avoid being tracked down, although in subsequent interviews he has not clarified this point, he collects computer today.
On the other, precisely the opposite is posited, that is, that maybe Steve Jobs wanted to attract attention and stand out. His cars, always the same model and without registration, were thus more recognizable: everyone could know that he was in front of Jobs’s Mercedes (and they uploaded images and videos to the internet), who thus saw his legend grow and enhance his personal image , while advertising for free.
Given the popularity that this custom acquired, the legal loophole ended up closing: since 2019, in the Californian state all cars must be registered as soon as they leave the dealership.
