Steve Jobs loved Larry Ellison’s private jet and bought an identical one, with a small change

Steve Jobs was once so impressed by his friend Larry Ellison’s private jet that he decided to get one almost identical to the Oracle co-founder’s aircraft. However, he famously could not resist making one small but telling change to its design. It reflected his well-known obsession with detail, and even a single button in the cabin got his personal attention. The plane is a Gulfstream V that Apple awarded Jobs during its dramatic recovery in the late 1990s. Decades later, the aircraft has changed registered ownership again, adding another chapter to a jet that links some of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures.The one-button detail that set the jets apartFor Jobs, the jet was far more than an expensive way to travel. He had been impressed by the Gulfstream owned by his friend Larry Ellison and used it as a reference while planning his own. One detail bothered him, however. The interior cabin door had separate buttons for opening and closing it, surrounded by polished stainless steel. Jobs wanted a single button that switched between the two functions, with brushed metal in place of the shiny finish. The change reportedly frustrated the designer responsible for carrying it out.Ellison eventually admitted that Jobs’s changes were improvements. He said, “I look at his airplane and mine, and everything he changed was better.” The aircraft began as a reward for rescuing Apple, and its journey from Jobs to Ive and now Trousdale Aviation is a fitting reminder.Jet ‘flew’ from Jobs to Jony IveAfter Jobs died in 2011, the aircraft became part of the estate inherited by his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs. Jony Ive had worked closely with Jobs on Apple’s most influential products and had helped shape the aircraft’s interior. He later bought the Gulfstream from her at a substantial discount. Ive reportedly joked that he would not need to redesign the aircraft, since he already knew its original design well. By February 2020, historical registration records listed LoveFrom Inc., the design company he set up after leaving Apple, as the aircraft’s registrant.Steve Jobs’ jet now has a new ownerThe jet has since gone through several registration identities before its latest recorded ownership change. The Gulfstream has now entered a new chapter, with its registration changing earlier this year to Trousdale Aviation LLC. The company is linked to investor Phillip Sarofim through Trousdale Ventures. According to records, May 13, 2026, is the issue date of the FAA certificate listing Trousdale Aviation as the registered owner. The date does not independently establish when the sale was completed.Sarofim’s link to Trousdale Aviation adds a new angle to the story. He has been involved in reviving the Meyers Manx dune buggy brand and has investment interests in advanced aerospace and space communications companies.How Steve Jobs got the jetThe story of this Gulfstream V began in December 1999. Apple’s board awarded Jobs the aircraft as a bonus for helping turn around the struggling technology company. Apple announced the gift publicly in January 2000, alongside stock options.