In what may seem a cruel deprivation to people who love Apple and a bullet dodged to people who don’t, the Telegraph reports that Steve Jobs was this close to receiving an honorary knighthood in 2009. He was nominated for the honor by an unnamed former member of parliament, but his nomination, which hit “the final stages of approval,” was reportedly shut down by former British prime minister Gordon Brown because Jobs had refused to speak at a Labour Party conference.
The former MP, who left Parliament at the last election, said: “Apple has been the only major global company to create stunning consumer products because it has always taken design as the key component of everything it has produced.
“No other CEO has consistently shown such a commitment.”
Apple was aware of the proposal, he said, and it reached the final stages of approval, but was rejected by Downing Street.
Bill Gates received an honorary knighthood in 2005: However, he cannot go by “Sir” because he is not a citizen of the Commonwealth, nor would Jobs have been able to even if he had received the honor.
(via Telegraph)
