Americans are obsessed with Steve Jobs because the Apple co-founder's story fits perfectly with the romantic individualist story that American culture can't seem to get enough, according to a US researcher.
Thomas Streeter, professor of sociology at the University of Vermont, investigated America's obsession with stories about celebrity CEOs like Jobs, suggesting it says more about American culture than the man.
Jobs' story fits perfectly with the romantic individualist story that American culture can't seem to get enough, despite being yet another romanticised story about a well-known business celebrity, Strreter said.
"Jobs is an interesting character, but if we were choosing whose story to tell based on the importance of their inventions or business innovations, we'd be telling stories about other people like computer scientist Dennis Ritchie, who was central to the development of the software and concepts that made the internet possible," said Streeter.