Steve Jobs and his attempt to get somebody a date

30 March 2016, 11:23


I’m pretty sure that somebody could create a very successful website detailing people’s stories about Steve Jobs and the things that he said. Latest in a very entertaining line is the following, from Jonathan Rotenberg in response to a Quora question.

Rotenberg was president/founder of The Boston Computer Society and claims a long friendship with Jobs, to the extent that he’s currently writing a book of recollections about the great man.

Here’s his hugely entertaining anecdote:

In 1982, I organized a dinner with Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak at one of the most expensive restaurants in the U.S.: A meticulously elegant place in Boston called L’Espalier. The dinner was in conjunction with Applefest ’82, sponsored by The Boston Computer Society. Our dinner guests included the senior technology reporters of The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek and The NY Times.

As we were finishing dessert, Steve suddenly—with no warning—pulled his chair back and stood up in the middle of the restaurant. He began talking loudly to all of the patrons.

I was mortified. Steve was 27 years old and looked like a ruffled hippie. No one in the restaurant would have any idea who this rude young man was. And Steve just didn’t get it: This is a Boston establishment and you DON’T do things like this in Boston.

The hushed conversations in the restaurant abruptly stopped.

Steve was telling everyone about “This Applefest computer show across the street at the Hynes Convention Center.”

“And,” he said, “…this whole event was organized by THIS GUY, Jonathan!”

Dear God, I thought, he is humiliating me in front of Boston’s elite and the business technology press at the same time.

“AND,” Steve said next. “Jonathan is only NINETEEN YEARS OLD. Jonathan is single and WE NEED TO FIND HIM A GIRLFRIEND!”

The restaurant went dead silent. And, then, a moment later, a very well dressed couple seated at another table suddenly raises their hands.

“Oh, oh,” the husband said. “Our daughter is available!”

The entire restaurant broke out laughing.


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