Forbes editor Daniel Lyons has admitted to being “Fake Steve Jobs,” the author of the satyrical blog The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs which pokes fun at the high tech industry, while inviting scrutiny of Silicon Valley and the individuals who run some of its influential companies. Lyons admitted to being Fake Steve after New York Times reporter Brad Stone asked him if he was behind the spoof, citing several similarities between Fake Steve entries and Lyons’ own published work.
Lyons managed to operate the blog and maintain his anonymity for over 14 months, prompting a bit of sleuthing in the technology press. Several well-known Mac industry pundits like Andy Ihnmatko were often suspected of being Fake Steve, despite some pretty frank—and pretty funny—denials.
Forbes has confirmed the New York Times story, and has posted an article confirming the association, along with an audio interview with Lyons. Forbes plans to let Lyons continue publishing the blog in open association with Forbes.com beginning today, August 6.
Lyon’s blog mixed celebrity name-dropping, potty humor, and tongue-in-cheek name-calling with elements of sharp business and industry analysis. Lyons says he started the site as a way to poke fun at the lack of candidness visible in so-called “CEO blogs” that garner a fair bit of media attention. Apple’s Steve Jobs—with his reputation as a technological visionary, media-savvy marketers, and for sometimes being a bit of an arrogant diva—made a perfect target.
What did Fake Steve have to say about the New York Times’ Brad Stone? “Well, tip of the hat to you, Brad Stone. You did the sleuthing. You put the pieces of the puzzle together. You went through my trash, hacked into my computer, and put listening devices in my home. Now you’ve ruined the mystery of Fake Steve, robbing thousands of people around the world of their sense of childlike wonder. Hope you feel good about yourself, you mangina.”
