That some very wealthy individuals are tight with their money, even towards family members, has for quite some time baffled me. Surely, one of the many joys that comes with great wealth, must be the ability to provide for your immediate family, and other good causes.

Fortune has published an article about Steve Jobs unwillingness to support his first girlfriend Chrisann Brennan, and the mother to his first born, financially.

Brennan says later Jobs apologized for the way he'd treated her and Lisa. After developing a closer relationship with his daughter—who legally changed her name to Lisa Brennan-Jobs at age nine—he increased his support "in small increments," eventually to $4,000 a month, says Brennan. "He was cheap as he could be. He under-provided for everything. It was always like pulling teeth to get him to step up."

Over the years after their daughter's birth, Jobs bought Brennan two cars and a $400,000 house, paid Lisa's private school tuition, and at times offered other financial help. Despite this, Brennan filed for bankruptcy in 1996. During high school, Lisa lived with her father (and his family) for the first time. In a second essay, Lisa wrote: "Growing up I'd been very poor, very rich, and sometimes in the middle."

Jobs' money—and his favor—could be withdrawn at a moment's notice. After a summertime conflict with Lisa, back home from Harvard, Jobs stopped supporting her and refused to pay her college tuition. Lisa moved in with a married couple down the street, who covered the tuition; Jobs didn't repay them for years.

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Featured image: Book cover of Chrisann Brennan's memoir "The Bite in the Apple" (2013).