Steve Jobs Had A Kind Side: He Once Helped A Random Stranger Attempt To Fix Their Broken Down Car — He Couldn't Get It To Run, But He Tried

Steve Jobs, often depicted as abrasive and intense in the media, left a legacy filled with stories of his demanding nature. However, a Quora user’s query about random encounters with Jobs revealed a personal anecdote that shed light on a kinder side of his persona.

The story comes from Tim Smith in 2012, who frequently found himself in Jobs’s neighborhood in Palo Alto, California, because of his relationship with a woman whose father lived there. Smith noted that Jobs’s household was surprisingly ordinary, with no gates, guards or high fences — a departure from what you might expect of a tech mogul’s residence. Sometimes, Smith could see Jobs inside, working on his Mac.

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One afternoon, after attending a neighborhood party, Smith’s old Sunbeam Alpine sports car broke down in front of Jobs’s house. Concerned he might be mistaken for a stalker, Smith attempted a quick fix by popping the hood. Soon after, the Jobs family returned home, but to Smith’s relief, they entered their house without acknowledging the awkwardly parked car.

Preparing to seek help, Smith was caught off guard when Jobs's wife, Laurene Jobs, called to him from across the street, inquiring about the car’s make and offering a beer. Smith was initially hesitant but accepted, marking the beginning of an extraordinary turn of events. Laurene mentioned a friend knowledgeable about Sunbeams and insisted on calling them for assistance, despite Smith declining.

“These were not just Silicon Valley elite — they were real people, just helping a poor guy out," Smith wrote. "It was just unexpected, given what you might think about people like this: It would have been so easy for them to just ignore me. Or call the police.”

About 15 minutes later, a couple — the man in a tuxedo and the woman in a dress, as if on their way to a formal event — arrived to help. Steve Jobs emerged, joining the impromptu gathering and contributing to the efforts to fix the car. 

“Jobs actually sits down in the Alpine and tries to crank it — with his kid sitting behind him. To no avail,” Smith wrote.

The scene was surreal: a legendary tech visionary, his family and their friends, all mingling on a Palo Alto street, trying to start a broken-down Sunbeam. Despite their endeavors, the car wouldn’t start, and Smith went inside Jobs’s home to use the phone to call AAA.

Jobs was known for his affinity for high-performance automobiles, regularly leasing a new black Porsche 911 every six months and later transitioning to a Mercedes-Benz SL 55 with the same regularity. His automotive choices reflected a financial strategy that prioritized calculated spending. Leasing offered several benefits: lower upfront cost, always having a new car and potential tax advantages. This approach aligned with Jobs’s desire for minimalism and a clean aesthetic while freeing up capital for investments or other ventures.

This anecdote humanizes Jobs and ties back to his broader life philosophy — whether innovating in tech or trading in Porsches, it was the passion for excellence and design that drove him, a principle that seems to have extended to his unexpected acts of kindness.

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