Born on the 24^th of February 1955 in San Francisco, California, Steve Jobs is considered the epitome of entrepreneurial perfection by many…and who can blame them. It’s his unparalleled innovative capacity and just the guile with which he speaks and carries himself that sets him high in people’s eyes. Jobs was actually adopted by Paul, a machinist and Clara Jobs.

When he was about 6 years old, he and his family moved to mountain view, California in an area south of Palo Alto. This area was starting to gain a reputation as the hotspot for manufacturers of electronic devices. It was coined silicon valley.

Jobs’ affection for computers started when he was about 12 years old. He had enrolled at a club affiliated with Hewlett- Packard and the things he saw left him a changed young boy forever. He was very impressed with how these people were working with computer and so when he got to high school, he made a point to attend most if not all the lectured at the HP plant. He was noticed by Bill Hewlett himself who went on to offer Jobs an internship at the plant.

Upon graduating high school in 1972, Jobs attempted the “whole college thing” and thought it wasn’t really for him so he dropped out of his program at Reed college in Portland, Oregon. He took time off to try and discover himself and a new religion so he travelled toindia. After returning to the states, Jobs joined a group called Homebrew computer club where he met eventual Apple founder, Steve Wozniak. Wozniak had been trying to build a compute and so the two teamed up to come up with “Apple”, the now ridiculously popular computer company. Reports claim the two only raised $1300 in startup funds by selling Job’s microbus and Wozniak’s calculator.

At the time, most computers in use were mainframes and were too big and costly for individuals, so the priority of the two was to come up with ‘personal computers’ that average individuals could afford and use. These new brand was called Apple II and started selling in 1977 with initial sales of over $2.5 million, rising to $200 million within 3 years.

Jobs was always seen as the face behind Apple, relegating his cofounder to a more ‘behind the scene’ role. Early in 1983 he unveiled the Lisa. It was designed for people possessing minimal computer experience. It did not sell well, however, because it was more expensive than personal computers sold by competitors. Apple’s biggest competitor was International Business Machines (IBM). By 1983 it was estimated that Apple had lost half of its market share (part of an industry’s sales that a specific company has) to IBM.

In 1984 Apple introduced a revolutionary new model, the Macintosh. The on-screen display had small pictures called icons. To use the computer, the user pointed at an icon and clicked a button using a new device called a mouse. This process made the Macintosh very easy to use. The Macintosh did not sell well to businesses, however. It lacked features other personal computers had, such as a corresponding high quality printer. The failure of the Macintosh signaled the beginning ofJobs’s downfall at Apple. Jobs resigned in 1985 from the company he had helped found, though he retained his title as chairman of its board of directors.

Jobs soon hired some of his former employees to begin a new computer company called NeXT. Late in 1988 the NeXT computer was introduced at a large gala event in San Francisco, aimed at the educational market. Initial reactions were generally good. The product was very user-friendly, and had a fast processing speed, excellent graphics displays, and an outstanding sound system. Despite the warm reception, however, theNeXT machine never caught on. It was too costly, had a black-and-white screen, and could not be linked to other computers or run common software.

In December of 1996 Apple purchased NeXT Software for over $400 million. Jobs returned to Apple as a part-time consultant to the chief executive officer (CEO). The following year, in a surprising event, Apple entered into a partnership with its competitor Microsoft. The two companies, according to the New York Times, “agreed to cooperate on several sales and technology fronts.” Over the next six years Apple introduced several new products and marketing strategies.

In November 1997 Jobs announced Apple would sell computers directly to users over the Internet and by telephone. The Apple Store became a runaway success. Within a week it was the third-largest e-commerce site on the Internet. In September of 1997 Jobs was named interim CEO of Apple.

In 1998 Jobs announced the release of the iMac, which featured powerful computing at an affordable price. The iBook was unveiled in July 1999. This is a clam-shaped laptop that is available in bright colors. It includes Apple’s AirPort, a computer version of the cordless phone that would allow the user to surf the Internet wirelessly. In January 2000 Jobs unveiled Apple’s new Internet strategy. It included a group of Macintosh-only Internet-based applications. Jobs also announced that he was becoming the permanent CEO of Apple.

In a February 1996 Time magazine article, Jobs said, “The thing that drives me and my colleagues … is that you see something very compelling to you, and you don’t quite know how to get it, but you know, sometimes intuitively, it’s within your grasp. And it’s worth putting in years of your life to make it come into existence.” Jobs has worked hard to translate his ideas into exciting and innovative products for businesses and consumers. He was instrumental in launching the age of the personal computer. Steve Jobs is truly a computer industry visionary.

This is the story of a 17-year-old British boy who was a rebel at school. The school’s rules were rigid and it made the boy claustrophobic. The boy wanted to break free his mind. This boy soon started an amateur students’ paper which circulated not just in his own school, but also among students of other nearby schools. His mother gave him four dollars to start with. The paper quickly became popular among students of other schools too. The boy sold advertising space to major corporations. His paper carried articles on rock stars, movie actors, politicians and intellectuals. Though it was not of any literary value, it reflected the young boy’s enthusiasm and entrepreneurship.

The boy was very eager to make this paper a growing business. His only companion in this venture was his dear buddy Johnny James. Seeing his burning enthusiasm to do something, the Headmaster of Stowe congratulated him and said, “I can predict that one day you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.”

In 1970 the boy set up a mail-order business, and started selling records by mail. The boy was successful and quickly turned his record-mailing business into a record shop. A couple of years later, in 1972, the young enthusiast boy started manufacturing records. But what would be the name of the company? His partner in his record manufacturing business Nick happened to say “We are all virgins in this business.” They christened the company ‘Virgin Records’. I am talking about Sir Richard Branson , better known as the Virgin Boss. Richard Branson is perhaps the most charismatic individual when it comes to the top corporate heads of international fame. Known for his maverick business strategies and untraditional ways, Sir Richard Branson, who appeared in several TV shows including Baywatch, was born in the UK on July 18, 1950.

Richard Branson believes in some simple strategies, like:
• Size does matter; you need to challenge and compete with big brands to become big yourself.
• Take it easy, mix fun with work.
• Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
• Haggling is possible in every business – it brings down prices.
• Be camera / media- friendly.
• Mingle like a common man, go ahead like a bullet.

The £ 3 billion Empire of Richard Branson, the Virgin boss, is a result of numerous success stories. Virgin Records saw their first success with Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ that became a best-selling record. After this, the company moved ahead swiftly, sometimes being drawn into controversies. It had to be sold to EMI in 1992 to generate money in order to keep the airline business running. It is said that Richard Branson cried after the company was sold, but he soon started V2 Records, another music brand. In 1984 Sir Richard Branson started his flagship brand Virgin Atlantic Airways to compete with British Airways. Sir Richard Branson then went on to start more airline brands such as Virgin Express, Virgin Nigeria and Virgin America (2006). Sir Richard Branson launched Virgin Mobile in 1999 and Virgin Blue (in Australia) in 2000. Other brands from him were Virgin Trains, Virgin Cola, Virgin Vodka, and Virgin Lottery.

In 1993 Sir Richard Branson, the millionaire Virgin boss, won a double lawsuit against British Airways and won a huge money of £ 610,000 which he divided among his employees. In 1993, Sir Richard Branson received an honorary Doctorate degree from Loughborough University, although Sir Richard Branson had quit conventional studies at the age of 17. In 1999, the Queen awarded him knighthood. In 2004, Sir Richard Branson announced the launch of Virgin Galactic, a company that will take travelers to outer space, as part of space tourism, beginning late 2007. Sir Richard Branson continues to enjoy every piece of his success, living life king-size, and adding new feathers to his crown every day.

So, what’s the moral of the story?

When we try to analyze why some people become wealthy from scratch, and others become paupers from millionaires, the answers escape us. It seems one of those mysteries of the universe. It is also very mysterious how self-made millionaires mostly win back everything they had once lost – if such people lose their money in business, they often win back much more in no time and cover up their losses.

If we use the analytical skills of Sherlock Holmes and try to solve the above mysteries, we will soon realize that the basic difference between these two categories of people is in their minds, in the way they think. In more technical terms, the difference is in their money-map, the map that guides every human being either to Aladdin’s magic lamp or to financial doom. It is something that every human being has within him. Unfortunately, very few people are able to decipher this map. And this is the reason why 90% of people fail to achieve financial freedom. How many people do not need to think twice before ordering the choicest dishes at a decent restaurant on a weekend with the family? And show me those who do not bother to look at the price tag while shopping, who just smile and instruct the salesgirl to “just pack it, please”. Such people are uncommon because they come in the other 10%. They are the ones who have been able to decipher, understand and follow the hidden money-map of their minds. King-size and ordinary-size people do not look different and are not made of any special material. The good Lord has made us all the same, the only major difference between the two categories is in the way they handle the money-map that is in their minds.

It is the same money blueprint that pulls them up when disaster strikes. Do you think king-size people never run into financial trouble? Chances are that they run into deeper financial trouble than most others. Dealing with their millions and billions, they are likely to face financial crises of towering proportions. Let us take for example Sir Richard Branson. Was his financial journey a smooth one? I wish it had been so, but it wasn’t.

Richard Branson was often ridiculed by the media, especially the print media, for his irrational strategies. He had launched Virgin Cola and Virgin Vodka, which received cold response from the market. But his greatest failure was Virgin Trains that ran into a lot of trouble with bad timings and delays – it badly damaged the reputation of the Virgin brand which was established after so much pain and effort. Virgin Lottery was also one of Richard Branson’s brands that failed.

But what is it that helps king-size people win back the millions they lose? It is the same money blueprint, hidden within the brain. It is intangible, something that can’t be seen or felt, yet strange as it may sound, it is the guiding spirit behind all major developments of the world. It’s something that cannot be seen or felt: the money-map.

Your money-map is the invisible cause that leads to your wealth which is the visible result. This is the map, which guides everyone, just like a road-map, to the goal of money and wealth.