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Jobs on his biological father: 'I didn't like what I learned'

The biographer of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs says Jobs actually met his biological father without either of the men knowing they were related. Jobs later said he was disappointed by the man.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
2 min read
Isaacson's biography on Jobs, which goes on sale next week.
Isaacson's biography on Jobs, which goes on sale next week. Courtesy of Albert Watson

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unknowingly met his biological father several times, with Jobs finding disappointment in the man upon discovering his identity, according to biographer Walter Isaacson.

In a "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft that airs this Sunday, Isaacson said Jobs had met his biological father, Abdulfattah "John" Jandali, when Jandali was running a Mediterranean restaurant in Silicon Valley, without either man knowing the two were related.

The discovery of Jandali's vocation was made by Jobs' sister Mona Simpson, who tracked Jandali down and met with him as part of her and Jobs' effort to meet their biological father. Simpson later relayed information about him and his whereabouts to Jobs.

"When I was looking for my biological mother, obviously, you know, I was looking for my biological father at the same time, and I learned a little bit about him and I didn't like what I learned," Jobs told Isaacson in an interview. "I asked her to not tell him that we ever met...not tell him anything about me."

Shortly after Jobs stepped down from his post as the CEO of Apple in August, Jandali, who is currently the executive vice president of a casino in Reno, told the New York Post that he wanted his son to reach out to him. In that same interview, Jandali said that he had only recently learned that Jobs was his son.

The full interview is the first to feature Isaacson talking about his time with Jobs. The much-anticipated biography includes two years' worth of interviews with Jobs, family members, and colleagues. Its release was <="" cnet:blog=""> following the death of Jobs earlier this month. It airs this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT, the night before the book goes on sale.

Disclosure: Simon & Schuster, which is publishing the biography, is owned by CBS. CNET News is published by CBS Interactive, a unit of CBS, which airs "60 Minutes."