We’re back with another Amazing Apple Anecdote. This week we learn about the reward for selling 125 Macs, which is a Porsche given to you by Steve Jobs.
The story begins in 1984, when Elliott, now 52, was living in Iowa taking a year off college.
“I ended up working at the local computer retailer and that was the year the Macintosh came out. I sold more Macintoshs than anyone in the United States,” Elliott told Business Insider.
So he got a letter from Apple asking him to come to Cupertino, Calif.
“I had dinner with Steve Jobs, spent a week with the Apple executives and Steve gave me a Porsche.”
The dinner with Jobs was almost a disaster. During the meal, Jobs asked him how many Macs he had sold. Answer: around 125.
“Jobs was like, ‘Oh my god! That’s all? That’s pathetic!” Elliott recalls. “I leaned over and said, ‘Steve, remember, I’m your best guy.’ Jobs said, ‘Oh, you’re right.’ And for the rest of the dinner we had a really nice time.”
And that was Jobs in a nutshell, Elliott says. He was intense but when people pushed back, that would “reset him.”
Jobs offered Elliott a job but Jobs wouldn’t be his boss for long. Unknown to both of them, a year later, Jobs would be ousted.
Luckily, Elliot managed to keep the Porsche, with a ‘pathetic’ number, but Steve only had to be reminded Elliot was the best salesman to become normal again. That’s all for this week but we’ll be back soon with more, for now though, enjoy!
