Andy Grove, the former chairman and CEO of Intel, has called Jobs the most inspirational leader in Silicon Valley.

Yet by many accounts Jobs was also a difficult man. He was a taskmaster and a control freak whose penchant for secrecy could drive employees and partners to distraction. In 2000 he famously punished graphics vendor ATI for leaking details about future iMacs by pulling its products from some of Apple's computers. His rejection of Flash from the iPhone and seemingly arbitrary policing of the App Store has led to criticism that the company is too closed and insular.

But Jobs had an uncanny knack for reading future trends in computers and consumer electronics, helping Apple to lead the market with must-have products.

He helped ignite the PC revolution with one of the first personal computers, the Apple I, which he introduced with "the other Steve," Steve Wozniak. Jobs' expertise was in marketing the product while Wozniak focused on technical aspects.

Jobs' entrepreneurial skills became evident at a young age. In 1968 he and a friend created the "blue box," an illegal phone attachment that allowed users to make long distance calls. He also sold and repaired stereos during his high school years.