{
  "id": 14696778,
  "title": "Looking back at John Sculley's rise as Apple's CEO, and fall on October 15, 1993",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/looking-back-at-john-sculleys-rise-as-apples-ceo-and-fall-on-october",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-15T12:49:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AppleInsider",
    "slug": "appleinsider",
    "url": "https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/10/15/looking-back-at-john-sculleys-rise-as-apples-ceo-and-fall-an-october-15-1993"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "John Sculley is most famous for his tenure as Apple's CEO and for firing Steve Jobs. Upon resigning on October 15, 1993, Sculley left with a $23 million payout, including severance, consulting fees, and Apple buying his mansion and Lear jet. This dismissal occurred after Apple's quarterly results showed a 97% drop in net income compared to the previous year. Sculley's rise to Apple's CEO stemmed from a 1974 commission by Pepsi to conduct research on consumer preference between Pepsi and Coca-Cola. The findings led to the creation of the Pepsi Challenge advertising campaign. Sculley's initial success with Pepsi drove his interest in joining Apple, where he faced resistance from the board, ultimately leading to his appointment by Steve Jobs.",
  "summary": "After Steve Jobs , and Tim Cook, the best known head of Apple was John Sculley. AppleInsider looks at Sculley's tenure with the company, and how history has treated the man since. Back: Apple's Knowledge Navigator. Fore: John Sculley in a detail from his book. Image credits: Apple, Sculley Next time you're asked to become CEO of a major company, make sure you negotiate your exit fee before you…",
  "key_points": [
    "John Sculley fired Steve Jobs upon resignation in 1993",
    "$23 million payout included severance, consulting fees",
    "Sculley's rise linked to Pepsi Challenge campaign in 1974"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}