September 23, 1985: Apple Sues Steve

After being stripped of any real power, Steve Jobs left Apple to start a new company. Before he left he told Apple he was going to take a few "low-level" employees with him.

What constituted low level was a major bone of contention. For instance, Steve considered Bud Tribble a low-level Apple employee, while Apple considered Bud Tribble a very important part of the organization. Steve wouldn't stop taking the employees and Apple soon grew tired of his actions and decided to sue.

The suit put Apple in an interesting position. On the one hand, the company had taken all responsibility away from Jobs, indicating strongly that he was incompetent. On the other hand, the company was now suing a supposedly blatant incompetent for being savvy enough to grab key employees. Logic never stops a decent lawsuit, and Apple sued Steve Jobs this day in 1985.