(Reuters)
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Steve Jobs warned President Barack Obama last year that he risked losing re-election over his policies toward business, according to the official biography of Apple's late co-founder.
"You're headed for a one-term presidency," Jobs told Obama when the two met in the fall of 2010, according to The Huffington Post, which obtained a copy of the book.
Jobs told Obama he had to adopt more business-friendly policies, saying companies were more likely to build factories in China because of "regulations and unnecessary costs" in the United States.
The meeting at the Westin San Francisco Airport almost did not occur, the biography reveals. The iconic CEO, notorious for his stubborn personality, initially insisted that he wanted to receive a personal invitation from the president. He ultimately gave in after maintaining his demand for five days, The Huffington Post reported.
Jobs also suggested Obama convene with CEOs but became irritated when the White House added too many people to the guest list, threatening that he had "no intention of coming."
Jobs fussed over the menu for the dinner meeting, telling venture capitalist John Doerr that the planned meal of shrimp, cod and lentil salad was "far too fancy." When he objected to a chocolate truffle dessert, he was rebuffed by the White House, which said the president was fond of cream pie.
The biography, which is written by Walter Isaacson and is set for release on Oct. 24, also reveals that Jobs offered to design ads for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.
"He had made the same offer in 2008, but he'd become annoyed when Obama's strategist David Axelrod wasn't totally deferential," Isaacson wrote, adding that Jobs later divulged that he envisioned the ads would aid Obama in the same way the optimistic "Morning in America" commercial helped Ronald Reagan.
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