Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Odds and ends, Apple Financial, Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs spending less on flying
This might be obvious to most of us, but the WSJ feels it's fit to print: while Steve Jobs' reimbursed budget for his private jet has been fairly considerable over the past year or so -- $580,000 for a six-month period a year ago and $30,000 during a quarter period, the past few reports have seen the budget much, much lower. For the first three months of this year they didn't pay him at all, and for the previous six months before that they've only reimbursed him for $4,000.What does this mean? Nothing, really -- while the WSJ points to it as evidence Jobs hasn't been traveling overseas to help bring the iPhone to China and carry out other big Apple deals, we've already known that Jobs wasn't involved much in the day-to-day business anyway; besides, it's hard to recuperate at home and fly around the world simultaneously. There are lots of other reasons for the budget to be down -- that $580,000 period would have been right around the manufacturing point of the iPhone 3G, and since most of the focus lately is on software, it's not like Jobs needs to be jetsetting off exotic plants to make sure production is on schedule.
And of course gas prices are back down quite a bit, and companies are under a little more scrutiny and pressure in this economy, so teleconferencing may be just as good as a plane ticket these days. Apple is still saying Jobs is expected back in June, and though these plane figures are interesting, the fact that Apple is still confident of his return says more about the company's future.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mart said 9:06AM on 4-27-2009
Thanks for the update.
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David Emery said 9:11AM on 4-27-2009
Dear Steve, If you're not using it, could I take the jet for a spin? :-)
dave
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Jash Sayani said 1:56PM on 4-27-2009
Good one :)
Luna Lovegood said 9:23AM on 4-27-2009
"What does this mean? Nothing, really..."
And yet...
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John said 10:19AM on 4-27-2009
And we care because???
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Andre said 10:58AM on 4-27-2009
Linked article mentions a Gulfstream, the picture above is a Piaggio P180 Avanti II :-)
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RJR said 10:54AM on 4-27-2009
Regarding the image used in the Steve Jobs jet story: A) It's not Steve's jet, and B) It's not a jet. This is a Piaggio P180 Avanti II twin-engine turboprop, made in Italy. Nice ride, but nowhere near Steve's Gulfstream V. What were the thought processes that led TUAW to pick that photo/type for this story, especially since they already had the goods (http://www.tuaw.com/2005/05/19/spy-shots-of-steve-jobs-gulfstream/)
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Ryan Trevisol said 10:58AM on 4-27-2009
Well I hope SOMEBODY's flying over to china to oversee the production of the iPhone 2009! I want new hardware!
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superjeff said 12:23PM on 4-27-2009
"This might be obvious to most of us, but the WSJ feels it's fit to print..."
And TUAW felt the need to re-print.
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russ d said 4:46PM on 4-27-2009
This just in: Steve Jobs spending less on toothpaste, therefore he lost all his teeth!!!!
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SaintStryfe said 5:47PM on 4-27-2009
new meme!
Steve Jobs is spending less money on succotash, meaning he hates Indians!
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John Doe said 10:45AM on 4-28-2009
tee hee. you took down this post.
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Yaschan said 7:41AM on 5-18-2009
Excellent article!
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Clint Davis said 8:43AM on 5-19-2009
+1 to planet & +1 for teleconferencing
Its good to see that people are flying less and using technology systems more.
Clint Davis
http://teleconference.greymouse.com.au
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maxtkaxz said 6:15PM on 6-22-2009
Ironically, that is not a picture of a jet.
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