He became a pariah in Cupertino and went dark after leaving Apple, but Scott Forstall is grabbing headlines again for his role at Snapchat and involvement in a Broadway play.
Forstall departed from Apple in 2012, after the release of the highly criticized iOS 6. At the time he helmed the development of the iOS 6, so much of the blame for the lackluster Apple Maps and generally buggy mobile platform fell on Forstall's shoulders.
The former iOS chief, who had been with Apple since 1997, left the company on tense terms. It is generally believed that his departure was not entirely his choice. He was first asked to serve as a special adviser to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who mediated disputes between the iOS head and other executives, before ultimately leaving the company.
Forstall's advisory duties didn't end when he left Cook's side. The excommunicated executive was brought on as an adviser at Snapchat, according to information leaked from the Sony Pictures hack and published on WikiLeaks.
The company behind the ephemeral messaging app reeled Forstall in with 50,000 shares of Snapchat, about 0.11 percent of its stock. Forstall's shares won't vest until next year, but 0.11 percent of a company valued at about $15 billion is no small change.
Along with offering guidance to Snapchat, Forstall has been engaged in an endeavor worlds away from Silicon Valley and the tech industry. In the same manner that details on how he linked up with Snapchat are scant, it's unclear who or what prompted him to trek into his latest project.
"I'm thrilled to be co-producing the Broadway musical Fun Home opening this Sunday [April 19]. Bravo to the phenomenal team," tweeted Forstall.
I'm thrilled to be co-producing the Broadway musical Fun Home https://t.co/PqrKKZGcxY opening this Sunday. Bravo to the phenomenal team!
— Scott Forstall (@forstall) April 17, 2015
The play is based on the graphic memoir of cartoonist Alison Bechdel. The play's name, Fun Home, is borrowed from the loving moniker Bechdel gave their family-run funeral home.
According to Fun Home's playbill, Scott and his wife are members of the play's production team, and theatre is a family affair.
"This is Scott and Molly Forstall's first foray on Broadway after years in Silicon Valley," the playbill stated. "They share their loves of theatre with their children, Freya and Nils, both of whom are enthusiastic [theatergoers] and performers."
Fun Home was in previews on Broadway at the Circle in the Square theater before it's opening, and ran off-Broadway in 2013.
