1985 -- Founds Next Inc. to develop computer hardware and software. Company later renamed Next Computer Inc.

1986 -- Buys Pixar from George Lucas for less than $10 million. Company later renamed Pixar Animation Studios.

1989 -- Next launches $6,500 NeXT Computer, also known as The Cube. It comes with a monochrome monitor, and fails in the marketplace.

1996 -- Apple acquires Next Computer for $427 million; Jobs becomes advisor to Apple Chairman Gilbert F. Amelio.

1997 -- Jobs becomes interim CEO and chairman of Apple Computer Inc. after Amelio is ousted. Jobs' salary is $1.