Despite Bill Gates being knighted by the Queen in 2005, Steve Jobs was cockblocked in 2009 – and all because he refused to speak at a political conference.
The news has only just come out today, after a former Labour Party politician spilled the beans to The Telegraph, saying they tried to recruit him to speak at the party’s annual conference, but Jobs either wasn’t keen to align himself with a political party – a UK one at that – or just didn’t have the time to brown-nose with then-Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.
As a result, when Jobs was suggested for an honorary knighthood for services to technology and design, the UK government blocked the recommendation. The honour would’ve seen him down on his knees in front of Queen Elizabeth II, much the same as previously knighted Americans Steven Spielberg and George Bush Snr.
Even if Jobs had received his knighthood, he still wouldn’t have been called Sir Steve Jobs, as he does not hold British nationality. It does have a nice ring to it though, don’t you think? [The Telegraph]