Papermaster Left Apple Due to Falling Out With Steve Jobs

The WSJ is reporting that Mark Papermaster is no longer at Apple due to a falling out with CEO Steve Jobs.

The departure comes only a year after Papermaster started his employment at the company. Papermaster was poached from IBM who then filed suit to prevent him from working at Apple. Eventually a settlement allowed him to begin working on April 24, 2009, six months after leaving IBM.

It's been widely speculated that Papermaster's departure was linked to problems with the iPhone 4 antenna.


Exactly how much the problems with the iPhone 4 played in Mr. Papermaster's exit is unclear. The iPhone 4, a key device for Apple, has been beset by issues such as antenna reception and delayed production of a white version of the gadget. Several people familiar with Mr. Papermaster's situation said his departure was driven by a broader cultural incompatibility.

Mr. Papermaster had lost the confidence of Mr. Jobs months ago and hasn't been part of the decision-making process for some time, these people said. They added that Mr. Papermaster didn't appear to have the type of creative thinking expected at Apple and wasn't used to Apple's corporate culture, where even senior executives are expected to keep on top of the smallest details of their areas of responsibility and often have to handle many tasks directly, as opposed to delegating them. One of these people also said Mr. Papermaster had difficulty maneuvering Apple's internal politics.

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