Steve Jobs Posthumously Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Steve Jobs Posthumously Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was today posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Joe Biden. When announcing recipients earlier this week, The White House said that Jobs' inventions changed the way the world communicates.

steve jobs holding iphone 4 feature teal

Steve Jobs (d. 2011) was the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company. His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recognized Jobs' award on Twitter, and said that he was a "visionary" who saw the world for "what it could be."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the United States, and it is given to those who have "made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."


Jobs was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside Simone Biles, Sister Simone Campbell, Julieta García, Gabrielle Giffords, Fred Gray, Father Alexander Karloutsos, Khizr Khan, Sandra Lindsay, John McCain (posthumous), Diane Nash, Megan Rapinoe, Alan Simpson, Richard Trumka (posthumous), Wilma Vaught, Denzel Washington, and Raúl Yzaguirre.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

apple 1 bonhams

Rare Apple-1 With Steve Jobs Letter Sells for $1.15 Million

Thursday October 15, 2026 5:01 am PDT by
The "Hatfield" Apple-1 has sold for $1,148,200 including the buyer's premium, setting a world auction record for a commercially sold Apple-1, according to Bonhams. Two bidders competed for 28 minutes before the October 14 auction closed, taking the working computer beyond its $500,000 to $800,000 estimate. The machine takes its name from original owner Fred Hatfield, who complained to...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

57 months ago
Way to go Steve Jobs!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iDento Avatar
57 months ago

Yes Steve has done a great job in enslaving our populations of the world to technology. I have met him a couple of times and I could never say he was a nice person.
You don't have to be nice to be great. We have more than enough nice people who are useless.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
57 months ago

Yes Steve has done a great job in enslaving our populations of the world to technology. I have met him a couple of times and I could never say he was a nice person.
Do you drive a gas-guzzling vehicle, or any vehicle at all? Are you enslaved to motorized transport?

Do you watch television? Are you enslaved to entertainment channeled into your home?

Do you eat fast food? Are you enslaved to quick, delicious, cheap meals (that aren't necessarily the most healthy)?

===

We make our own choices. If people choose to use and consume certain aspects our age, that is their choice. Steve isn't responsible for *forcing* anybody to do anything, not like true slaves were.

More fitting companies for your description would be Microsoft, Google and Facebook where they actually strategized how to limit choice for consumers by putting their products everywhere. Need a PC? Most PC manufacturers were forced through licensing to use Microsoft Windows, thereby taking choice away from consumers.

===

Steve instilled some very important principles into Apple, such as limiting the scope of product lines (the number 3 was a magic number), and putting a strong focus on a customer-first strategy.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
57 months ago
You can watch it here



With 17 recipients the whole thing is quite long, so you can either choose to watch the whole thing or you can use the following to just watch the bits about Jobs to make it go quicker.

Laurene Powell Jobs (who later receives the medal on behalf of Steve Jobs) is announced at 0:43 and walks in at 0:54

Biden first mentions Jobs at 25:20

Jobs is awarded the medal at 39:42

Maybe someone might later rip and edit it to make a more Jobs-specific version, if they haven’t already.

EDIT: The video has been shortened slightly since yesterday and so these times have changed accordingly.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
57 months ago
This is an amazing award and a remarkable achievement. Steve Jobs's legacy will live on forever. I wish he was here with us today to achieve this honorary award. He's missed everyday!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
philpalmiero Avatar
57 months ago
This has more to do with Laurene Powell’s support of Biden and the Democrats than Steve Jobs.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
2 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
13 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
14 hours ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
1 day ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
1 day ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
2 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
2 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
3 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
3 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
3 days ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
3 days ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
3 days ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
3 days ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
3 days ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
3 days ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
3 days ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
4 days ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
4 days ago