Silicon Valley veteran Chamath Palihapitiya, known as the “SPAC King” for his use of special purpose acquisition companies, recently shared a surprising story on the All-In Podcast. Palihapitiya, who left Facebook in 2011, revealed he almost became the head of iPhone at Apple after interviewing with Steve Jobs.
Palihapitiya was reminiscing about his early days at Winamp, where he spearheaded a visionary 99-cent music download store concept, Benzinga reports. While the idea impressed big names, Palihapitiya said owner AOL‘s internal politics stalled the project. Nine months later, iTunes launched a similar service, which he believed showcased Apple’s superior execution.
This anecdote transitioned into a bombshell revelation. Palihapitiya hesitantly shared that upon leaving Facebook in 2011, he interviewed for a job at Apple — specifically, the rumored head of iPhone role.
“And I was adamant that I would never work for anybody until I heard it was Steve Jobs. And I was like, I will do whatever he says,” Palihapitiya said. “I would have driven his car.” Read more.
