Steve Jobs' first daughter Lisa, 40, has made shocking revelations about her dysfunctional relationship with the genius billionaire. In excerpts from her upcoming book Small Fry (that means 'insignificant people'), she describes Jobs as 'aloof, curt, and stingy' who constantly denied being her father.
Their pitiful relationship was a major plot in Aaron Sorkin’s movie 'Steve Jobs' but this is the first time that the narrative is coming from the horse's mouth.
The excerpts from the memoir, carried by a popular American magazine, reveal utterly heart-breaking episodes of Lisa being denied child-support by the billionaire mogul. It took a DNA test and a court order to make him finally pay $385 per month.
In what appears to be a melancholic rant, Lisa confesses that one of the last things Steve ever said to her was that she 'smells like a toilet.' Chronicling his apathy, Lisa writes, “For him, I was a blot on a spectacular ascent, as our story did not fit the narrative of greatness and virtue he might have wanted for himself. My existence ruined his streak.”
The piece also documents the struggles of her 'single' mother because Steve refused to contribute to the family in any way. Her mother, Chrisann Brennan, had to do house-cleaning and waitressing to provide for the two.
Lisa's outpouring comes at a time when Apple's market value touched $1 trillion. Steve Jobs may be no more but his legacy continues to take the business and technology universe by storm. He has inspired thousands during his career but the dark side of the mysterious genius is bound to disappoint many. Steve Jobs carried a brash public persona that was helped by an awe-inspiring struggle story, making him an idol in the eyes of countless young IT professionals.
'Small Fry' by Lisa Brennan-Jobs will be published by Grove Press on September 4 this year.
