This past Friday, the White House announced that President Joe Biden would award a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple (AAPL  ).

According to the White House in a recent statement, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is given to "individuals 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."

More specifically, the White House said about Steve Jobs, "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 (DIS  ). 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."

Although it has not yet been announced as to who the award will be given to in honor of Jobs, it will most likely be his wife, Laurene Powell-Jobs. It will be presented on July 7,, 2022.


The Presidential Medal of Freedom is significant, since it is the highest possible award that citizens can obtain in the United States. Some examples of others who have received this award are American basketball star Michael Jordan (2016), entertainer Oprah Winfrey (2015), and feminist activist Gloria Steinem (2013).

Steve Jobs, incredibly renowned throughout his life, founded Apple in April 1976 and helped to popularize many revolutionary products, such as the Mac, the iPod, and the iPhone. Some other achievements that Jobs was known for throughout his lifetime, before he passed away of cancer in 2011, include the Edison Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and the Disney Legends Award in 2013. The Edison Lifetime Achievement Award commemorated the "successful development and launch of game-changing new products and services" and the Disney Legends Award honored Jobs' addition to Disney as Pixar's CEO status as a board member.

Steve Jobs' legacy will likely continue to live on, especially with Biden's administration of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He will continue to be remembered as a vital part of technological innovation.