Reed Paul Jobs: Son of Steve Jobs, Excluded from Mother’s Fortune Plans, Yet Launches New VC Firm with $200 Million

Some people speculate that Steve Jobs named his son after Portland’s Reed College, which he attended for a while. Maybe this little fun fact is true, and maybe it’s just a rumor.

Either way, it’s definitely not the most interesting thing about Reed Paul Jobs. I can think of at least five more compelling facts. Let’s check them out!

Reed Paul Jobs: At a Glance

• Birthdate: September 22, 1991

• • Hometown: Palo Alto, California

• Parents: Laurene Powell Jobs and Steve Jobs

• Siblings: Eve Jobs, Erin Siena Jobs, and Lisa Brennan Jobs

• High School: Crystal Springs Uplands School (2010)

• • University: Stanford

• Occupation: Managing Director at the Emerson Collective (2015–2023), Investor at Yosemite

1. Steve Jobs’ Son Was a Genius Child With a Mission

Steve Jobs was clearly proud of his son. But one moment that comes to mind is when 18-year-old Reed performed exceptionally well on a TV quiz show back in 2010.

Even though he was introduced as Reed Powel (he took his mother’s maiden name), it was obvious the teenager had his father’s brains.

But the show wasn’t all light and fun—when Reed was asked about his upcoming senior project, he said he was working on a way to identify susceptibility for colon cancer.

Mind you, Steve Jobs revealed his pancreatic cancer diagnosis when Reed was only 12. So, it’s not hard to see why the little boy dreamed of becoming an oncologist.

2. Reed Shifted Majors After His Father’s Death

Steve Jobs lived long enough to see his son graduate from high school and enroll at Stanford for a medical degree.

Sadly, pancreatic cancer took Jobs’ life in 2011. Shaken by his father’s death, Reed found it too difficult to continue his major. So, he switched majors and studied history instead. Not only did he finish his undergraduate degree in 2014, but he also went for a master’s as well.

3. He Fenced at Stanford

Aside from focusing on his degree, Reed Paul Jobs enjoyed a few sports—running, swimming, and fencing, to name a few. He was on Stanford’s Fencing roster for Men’s Foil in 2011 and 2012!

4. Reed’s Goal Is to Make Cancer Non-Lethal

After graduating from Stanford with a master’s degree, Reed took a job at the Emerson Collective, a philanthropic organization. Let me tell you that it wasn’t just any job—he became a managing director!

Granted, the Emerson Collective’s founder was his mother, Laurene Powell Jobs. Still, this is quite an impressive job that he managed to get fresh out of university.

What I find even more impressive and heart-warming is that his work at the organization focused on accelerating cancer research. So, despite changing majors, he was still on his mission to cure the disease that took his father’s life.

Well, not exactly “cure,” though. Reed doesn’t think we’ll even have an outright cure for cancer. Instead, he has a more realistic goal: make the disease less lethal.

In fact, when he left the Emerson Collective in August 2023 to start a venture capital firm, the main goal was to “make cancer non-lethal within our lifetime.” This VC firm was called Yosemite, and it raised around $200 million in the initial funding round!

5. Reed Paul Jobs’ Net Worth Isn’t as High as You’d Expect

There’s no definitive information about Reed Paul Jobs’ net worth. But I don’t think it’s going to be as high as most folks expect.

Why? Well, the bulk of Steve Jobs’ fortune went to his wife, Laurene. Some sources estimate that she’s worth $10.5 billion, while others believe the figure is currently around $13 billion.

Either way, Laurene Powell Jobs made it clear that she doesn’t plan on passing down her fortune to her kids.

Final Thoughts

Walter Isaacson once said that Reed is just like his father but with his mother’s kind heart. Fingers crossed, his brain, compassion, and connections will help him accelerate cancer research!