Trump attacks Laurene Powell for 'wasting' money: Here's how Steve Jobs's wife spends her billions
Laurene Powell Jobs is not only an heiress and a billionaire but the wife of the late Steven Paul Jobs and is worth $21.8 billion, wearing hats such as the founder of Emerson Collective. Her story is that of glamour or some might say sheer luck, but Powell, who has three children with the late Apple CEO, inherited Disney and Apple stocks from her husband. We wondered what does the billionaire do with a fortune this large?
According to the International Business Times (IBT), after the death of Steve Jobs in the year 2011, Powell, 56, had inherited some of her current wealth -- 5.5 million shares of Apple stock and a 7.3% stake in the Walt Disney Company. The publication revealed that Powell had not only been investing but indulged in her late husband's view about not being "interested in wealth accumulation." Known to be a philanthropist, reports from Town and Country revealed that the businesswoman had started out at the powerhouse Goldman Sachs where she had worked as a trading strategist.
The New York Times revealed that she had worked on Wall Street for three years. Powell had studied at the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in economics and political science. She also graduated with an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1991 -- it was here that she had met her future husband, Apple visionary Steve Jobs. Two years after they dated, the duo married on March 18, 1991, at Yosemite National Park.
The publication Town and Country further reported that Powell is the "richest woman in the technology industry" with IBT confirming that the executive of Emerson Collective has been "busy investing" -- a vision, they said, her husband shared as well. Powell's organization Emerson Collective was founded in 2004 and advocates for social justice - it was named after Ralph Waldo Emerson. In an interview with Vogue, Powell said, "So there’s Emerson’s idea of self-reliance...I’ve always had this idea that you have to make the most of things. And then collective because I wanted the idea that you achieve your goals with people because good ideas come from a lot of places.”
IBT reported that the stocks she had received from her husband, namely Apple and Disney stocks are worth billions. Her investments include sports teams and 20% of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Forbes magazine reported that the Powell herself has dabbled in outlets such as Popup Magzine and The Atlantic Magazine of which she acquired a major stake on July 28, 2017. All this, along with managing apt time and energy for her philanthropy work. Powell is also a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council and had also helped raise $4 million for her Hillary Clinton campaign, along with donating $2 million herself.
Town and Country also reported that in 2016 Powell launched a project titled 'XQ: The Super School Project' worth $50 million. As the chairwoman, she aimed to "create high schools with a new approach to education." Her other notable works include her being on the board of Conservation International and the Council on Foreign Relations.
While many may know Powell mainly due to her philanthropy work and her last name, she most recently was drawn into Trump's Twitter saga. POTUS tweeted, "Steve Jobs would not be happy that his wife is wasting money he left her on a failing Radical Left Magazine that is run by a con man (Goldberg) and spews FAKE NEWS & HATE. Call her, write her, let her know how you feel!!!."
Steve Jobs would not be happy that his wife is wasting money he left her on a failing Radical Left Magazine that is run by a con man (Goldberg) and spews FAKE NEWS & HATE. Call her, write her, let her know how you feel!!! https://t.co/wwuoP85bQE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2020
He was responding to a tweet that read, "The widow of Steve Jobs—Laurene Powell Jobs donated at least $500,000 to Joe Biden's campaign this year. Do you know who owns a majority stake in The Atlantic? Laurene Powell Jobs." Either way, many don't think Powell will bat an eye as she continues her work for social justice, education reform, and environmental conservation, being the third richest woman in the United States and the sixth richest woman in the world.