If He Was a Richer Man

Steven P. Jobs’ wealth has always been a source of much public interest, seemingly hitting a peak last week when he became a billionaire on paper overnight after the stock in his Pixar Animation Studios soared when the technology company went public.

But how much does that matter to the computer entrepreneur who first became a multimillionaire in his mid-20s as a founder of Apple Computer Inc.? Jobs’ views of wealth seem conflicting.

In the 1988 book “Steve Jobs: The Journey Is the Reward,” author Jeffrey S. Young describes a skinflint, “the kind of person who never paid for a meal, no matter how wealthy he was.”

Then there is the Jobs described in Randall E. Stross’ 1993 book, “Steve Jobs and the NeXT Big Thing,” a look at Jobs after he founded the Next computer firm after his ouster from Apple in 1985.

In the book, Stross describes Jobs’ ordering several annoying elevators removed in the Next building in favor of a “one-of-a-kind staircase--designed by I.M. Pei’s firm.” He also writes of placing $2,000 chairs and $10,000 sofas in common areas and having expensive phones put on each desk.

When an executive questioned the cost of a special $600-a-month phone line Jobs wanted installed at his home, Stross writes Jobs replied: “I don’t care. I’m rich.”

Know Your Barneys

Barney may not be the hit this holiday season that he was when he was purple-hot a couple of years ago, but keeping busy is something called the “Barney Infringement Department.”

A unit of Barney creator Lyons Group, it is responsible for, among other things, keeping track of “un-Barneylike” behavior.

In a note to parents of children belonging to Barney’s fan club, the department explains it doesn’t authorize adult versions of Barney costumes so as to preserve trust in the character, and it lists a toll-free number for informing on people misbehaving while dressed in purple dinosaur outfits.

“Many children have been disappointed or disillusioned by someone dressed as Barney who does not behave as they know Barney would,” the message reads.

Thank You for Your Support

Few companies have enjoyed the kind of support video game maker 3DO has received from entertainment and media giant Time Warner Inc.

For starters, Time Warner was an investor in the much-hyped fledgling company that so far has disappointed those who expected it to revolutionize the video game business.

Independently, Time Warner’s magazines were also big fans of the company, with Time touting 3DO’s game system as first among “The Best Products of 1993 . “

In addition, Fortune magazine in 1984 put 3DO founder Trip Hawkins on its cover for a story on the nation’s smartest young entrepreneurs.

So there’s a bit of irony in last week’s announcement that Time Warner is divesting nearly all of its stake in 3DO.

But Time Warner says it is only selling the stock, for $28.3 million, to help cut its hefty $16-billion debt, adding that it did make money on its investment.