Reed

"Jobs also absorbed how Friedland made himself the center of attention. “Robert was very much an outgoing, charismatic guy, a real salesman,” Kottke recalled. “When I first met Steve he was shy and self-effacing, a very private guy. I think Robert taught him a lot about selling, about coming out of his shell, of opening up and taking charge of a situation.” Friedland projected a high-wattage aura. “He would walk into a room and you would instantly notice him. Steve was the absolute opposite when he came to Reed. After he spent time with Robert, some of it started to rub off.”"

"There were also occasions when he came to dine with his daughter Lisa, living in London, or his sister Mona individually. Steve’s appearance, cherishing time with special people, was impressive, but what I remember well is when he came with his son Reed. I think it was when Reed was in high school. Steve was listening intently to Reed’s story, giving advice with a serious expression. It might have been about schooling or something related. In the U.S., generally, when raising children, there seems to be a tendency to emphasize autonomy. The focus is often on developing their strengths, with so-called etiquette or deportment being secondary, but the Jobs family was different. With a father that famous, one might think it would be easy to become a bit conceited, but they were properly disciplined, and well-mannered in greetings. It’s probably largely due to Steve seriously engaging with his children."

"In 2010, just before Reed entered university, Steve seemed truly happy. When I happened to ask Steve, who was sitting alone at the counter, “How are your kids doing lately?” he replied, “My son got into Stanford. I’m very proud of him,” with a big smile. It was the face of a father joyfully proud of his son’s advancement."

"hob Tisch immediately launched a high-speed, hands-on analysis of Lorillard ’s inner workings. Fie toured cigarette factories and ware- houses throughout the South, and combed through the corporate headquarters in New York. Things were worse than the Tisch brothers had expected. Lorillard ’s strongest cigarette brand, Kent, which had been a winner in the 1950s, was losing market share to Marlboro and Winston. The company had no framework for developing new prod- ucts, and it nearly destroyed its mainstay menthol brand, Newport, by changing the blend, a move that cost it 20 percent of its volume. The candy company, Reed, which was earning $1 million a year when Lorillard acquired it, was now losing $1 million. Lorillard wasn’t a bad business; it was a badly run business. Larry was certain it had the po- tential for 10 percent annual profit growth."