Rivalry Facts

Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 and later said it was 90 days from going bankrupt. He struck a deal with Apple's biggest rival - Microsoft - to survive: they invested $150 million in non-voting preferred Apple stock. When Jobs announced it at Macworld Boston, Bill Gates appeared live via satellite on a giant screen above the stage. The crowd booed. Jobs later called it his worst staging mistake ever.

Ferruccio Lamborghini owned several Ferraris but kept burning out the clutch. He drove to Maranello and told Enzo Ferrari the clutches were rubbish. Ferrari dismissed him - a tractor man had no business criticizing his cars. Ferruccio went home and built a rival brand in four months. Three years later, his Miura was hailed as the world's first true supercar.