Tech winners of 2010

Technology seemed especially relevant in 2010, what with The Social Network's blockbuster receipts and mass mania for Apple's iPad and iPhone 4. The newfound attention helped turned some techies into genuine stars — while lending others real worldwide infamy

Steve Jobs, Apple:

The scope of Steve Jobs' gains in 2010 is truly impressive. People bought more than 8 million iPads after the Apple CEO shipped the tablet computer in April; a device no one imagined needing in 2009 now outsells Apple's flagship Macintosh. Jobs' previous creation, the iPhone, doubled 2009 unit sales and now generates half of Apple's revenue. Apple stock is up 50 percent year over year; profits, 70 percent.
Then there's Jobs' growing influence outside of tech. In 2010 old-school media moguls had to worry if he might get them fired or publicly embarrassed as they raced to replace technologies he didn't like and submit to his bans on political cartoons, gay literature, racy fashion spreads, and other "porn."
But for all the controversy, inconvenient coverage, and technical blunders around Apple, 2010 was Steve Jobs' year. Again.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook

Like his counterpart at Apple, Facebook's CEO would not be slowed down by controversy and some well-earned criticism in 2010. Mark Zuckerberg's social network added its 500 millionth user, reportedly clocked about $2 billion in sales, took a $120 million investment, and was valued at $56 billion. And, oh yeah, Zuckerberg was the focus of $92 million grossing movie and was named Time's Man of the Year. Those might not be honors, exactly, but they're more than enough to make Zuckerberg the envy of Silicon Valley, if being the world's youngest billionaire wasn't already enough.
That's the context that makes Facebook's many 2010 privacy grabs look like speed bumps.

Larry Ellison, Oracle:

Oracle's CEO will buy you, sue your friends, burn your bridges, promote a proven asshole to be your boss, flame mail you, and then steal your roller coaster tickets. Then he'll somehow make you apologize, in front of your future wife. This is how Larry Ellison rolls, in 2010.

Dick Costolo, Twitter:

Twitter's former COO apparently wanted to be CEO so he could take the high-profile microblogging service public. He protested his disinterest in that gig up until the day he accepted it — and somehow got the guy he replaced to insist it was all his idea. Smooth.