On December 20th, 1996 Apple purchased NeXT for $429 million bringing Steve Jobs, Apple's cofounder, as a consultant. That was the beginning of the 2nd coming of Apple. But that wouldn't have been possible if NeXT hadn't survived the ridiculous spending habits of Steve Jobs. And the person that ensured that NeXT didn't go bankrupt was none other than Susan Barnes. Susan Barnes, a co-founder and CFO of NeXT, played a critical role in the company’s development, providing financial leadership and strategic guidance during its formative years. As one of the few women in tech leadership roles during the 1980s, Barnes was instrumental in securing funding, including convincing billionaire Ross Perot to invest $20 million, which ensured the company’s survival and ability to innovate. Beyond managing finances, she worked closely with Steve Jobs and the leadership team to shape NeXT’s direction, supporting the development of the NeXT Computer, which later influenced macOS and iOS.