California overturns ‘Steve Jobs loophole’

Sorry celebs, but your anonymity is under threat. The so-called “Steve Jobs loophole” is about to be closed by the California state government.

The loophole refers to a piece of legislation that affects . . . car numberplates. Right now in California, car owners don’t have to obtain a registration plate for their vehicle for the first six months of ownership. Soon though, dealers will have to report the sale of the vehicle and the transfer of the temporary licence plates, which will have to, by law, be destroyed and replaced with real plates on the front and back of the car. Until now it has been common practice for many car owners — media-shy celebrities especially — to take advantage of the loophole to avoid having journalists finding out about their car ownership, or even what car they own.

The loophole was most famously exploited by tech genius Steve Jobs, who would lease a vehicle for 180 days before getting a new one, simply to avoid having to register a vehicle in the public domain. Those cars were always identical-spec black Porsche 911s, incidentally. The rumour was that the eccentric Jobs loved neatness so much that he would change cars because of a stone chip or scratch. But the reality was much more mundane.