According to Ellison, the only thing standing in the way was Jobs himself. While Ellison wanted to buy Apple and hand Jobs control of the company, Jobs refused the plan, saying he did not want to return through a hostile takeover or because of money.
Instead, Jobs believed Apple should choose to bring him back on its own. He reportedly told Ellison, “You don’t need any more money. I’m not doing this for the money.” Jobs wanted to earn the trust of Apple’s employees and board rather than take control through ownership.
A year later, Apple purchased Jobs’ company, NeXT, for $429 million, bringing him back to Apple. By 1997, Jobs became interim CEO and led one of the greatest business turnarounds in history, launching products like the iMac and iPhone and helping transform Apple into the world’s most valuable company. Larry Ellison later joined Apple’s board and remained one of Jobs’ closest friends.