Scott Forstall: the Sorcerer’s Apprentice At Apple

Scott Forstall, who went to work for Jobs right out of college, was one of the key architects of Apple’s current success. In less than five years, iOS—the latest version, iOS 5, ships this week—has become one of the most valuable corporate assets on earth. His name is on about 50 Apple patents that cover everything from how application icons are laid out on the iPhone screen to the method of turning off a device with a finger swipe. On a crucial 2009 patent for a touchscreen device controlled by finger commands, “Forstall, Scott” is listed second, right after “Jobs, Steven P.” But Forstall is like Steve in one other important way: He can be, in what some of his co-workers might call an understatement, a polarizing figure. Read the full Bloomberg Businessweek cover story at Businessweek.com.