Since the end of 2023, the rumor of an alliance between Jonathan Ive, the legendary Apple designer, and Sam Altman, the father of ChatGPT, has been circulating. According to The Information, Steve Jobs’ widow could provide them with financial support.
Ive, Altman, Jobs. Individually, these three family names already carry enormous weight in Silicon Valley. Jony Ive is Apple’s historic designer, behind the iMac, iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch and everything Apple did until 2019. Sam Altman is the emblematic boss of OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT. Laurene Powell Jobs is a powerful businesswoman, heading various foundations in the United States, including Emerson Collective. She is the heir of Steve Jobs and continues to defend his vision.
According to The Information, these three figures could soon combine. The startup created by Jonathan Ive and Sam Altman could create a product dedicated to artificial intelligence. She could receive funding from Laurene Powell Jobs.
Ive/Altman/Jobs: a trio destined for success?
What will Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s product look like? The rumors seem to agree on one thing: it will not be a smartphone. However, it could be a threat to the iPhone, replacing several of its functions. This approach resembles that of Humane which, with its Ai Pin, aims to kill mobile phones.
To finance its work, the startup needs a billion dollars. It should receive funding from OpenAI (in exchange for part of its capital), but is also looking outside. Emerson Collective (Laurene Powell Jobs) and Thrive Capital are reportedly among the two candidates, which makes the project even more interesting. A great friend of the Jobs couple, Jony Ive could breathe new life into the aura of the old Apple by joining forces with Laurene Powell. It’s hard to imagine Steve Jobs’ widow not getting involved in a project led by one of her ex-husband’s best friends, especially if it involves new technologies.
With her organizations, Laurene Powell Jobs is mainly interested in education, the environment and the media. Seeing her return to tech, which no longer seems to interest her much (neither she nor her children are involved in Silicon Valley) is interesting. Apple would certainly take a dim view of such an alliance. Jonathan Ive officially left on good terms, even though it had been rumored for several years that he had become incompatible with the company.
A few years after leaving Apple, is Jonathan Ive ready to make his return to the world of tech? Nothing says that the alliance will achieve anything (especially since AI products are, for the moment, gadgets), but the prospect of bringing together such a trio should attract some investors.
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