U2 보노, "사실 스티브 잡스는 기부왕"

영국 록그룹 U2의 리더이자, 세계적인 자선활동으로 명성을 얻고있는 보노가 "사실 스티브잡스는 기부왕"이라고 밝혀 화제가 되고 있습니다.

애플의 창립자이자 전 CEO인 스티브 잡스는 수차례 혁신적인 제품을 발표해 세상을 놀라게 했지만, 직접적인 자선활동이나 기부액수는 알려진 바가 거의 없어, 라이벌 '빌 게이츠'의 자선활동과 비교되곤 했습니다.

그러나 보노가 밝히길 "스티브 잡스는 개인적인 성격 때문에 대중들에게 밝히지 않았을 뿐, 그와 그의 아내 로렌이 그 동안 어마어마한 액수를 기부해 왔다"고 밝혔으며, 또한 "자신이 Product (RED) 캠페인을 창안했을 때도 가장 먼저 호응해준 사람이 스티브 잡스였다"며 그와의 일화를 소개했습니다.

U2 frontman Bono responded to the story “The Mystery of Jobs’s Public Giving,” in the NYTimes Opinion pages today telling readers that Jobs was indeed a generous giver through the product (Red) campaign. Bono further hinted that Jobs is a private person and his donations may not all be on the books.

I’m proud to know him; he’s a poetic fellow, an artist and a businessman. Just because he’s been extremely busy, that doesn’t mean that he and his wife, Laurene, have not been thinking about these things. You don’t have to be a friend of his to know what a private person he is or that he doesn’t do things by halves.

Apple and U2 of course collaborated on a U2 iPod and later Apple built red iPods with a portion of the proceeds going to Bono’s private fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Steve Jobs reportedly said when Bono first approached him about (RED), “There is nothing better than the chance to save lives.” Apple’s involvement encouraged other companies to get involved.

Jobs has also been active in organ donation causes since his liver transplant.