I wouldn't call NeXT a success. They did some really great R&D, lost a ton of money, and basically donated all that work back to Apple. They did great work, but

I wouldn't call NeXT a success. They did some really great R&D, lost a ton of money, and basically donated all that work back to Apple. They did great work, but weren't successful as a corporate entity. Pixar, OTOH, was hugely successful on its on terms.