Steve Jobs to take medical leave of absence but remain Apple CEO - Page 2

Wishing you the very best, Steve. FYI, I won't be selling even a single share. In fact, I'll buy more if it dips, like I did the last time.

In 2009 when you took a similar leave you came back healthier and soon introduced a "magical" new product. Hope you surprise us all again in the near future (maybe "iSearch" to take down Google).

Will pray for your well-being.

My thoughts and prayers, along with millions of others, I'm sure, are with Steve at this time. I can only pray for a quick and full recovery. He deserves nothing less than that.

As far as the future of Apple is concerned.... although there may be some uneven times in the uncertainty of all of this, I'm fully confident that the long term future of Apple is bright, if for no other reason than the DNA of Apple is embedded deep in the heart of many, if not all, of the management. Anyone who has been following Apple for any amount of time can see the same passion in the people who guide the company that Steve has for making "insanely great products/services" and as long as that passion remains focussed on that philosophy .... Apple will continue to prosper. Get well soon, Steve. Peace.

It's 348 now

Wow Apple sheeple are in full force. Steve is going to be just fine.

You sound like you feel like you've been manipulated. Anyone with cancer can get it again. Anyone taking drugs or other treatment for cancer can have numerous side effects. For all we know, his body is rejecting the transplanted liver.

Besides, Wall Street has known the risk and it's already been factored into the stock price.

AAPL stock will probably drop tomorrow, but I think it will be a temporary, emotional drop. First of all, the drop will be tempered by Apple's results, which are inevitably going to hit another record. The question will be whether Wall Street will think that in spite of that success, Apple won't continue to achieve that without Jobs there, but even if Jobs actually has no role going forward, you won't see the impact for a year.

Apple should have put a succession plan in place long ago. Most corporations have succession plans even when their CEOs are healthy. Apple has made a strategic error in reinforcing the notion that the company is "Steve". I think half of the public feels that Jobs has a role in every single decision make at the company. That's ludicrous. Tim Cook, Jonathan Ive and others have done and will continue to do an incredible job.

As for other posters who feel that Jobs' health should not be private, that's ridiculous. How much do you know about the health of the CEO of Exxon-Mobil? Or Wal-Mart? Every corporation is at risk of losing its chief executive due to such factors as airplane crashes, heart attacks, etc., for which I believe they are affected statistically more than the general population, due to extensive travel schedules and the pressures of the job.

As one who has dealt with a chronic, non-curable disease on three different occasions over the years myself, with unfortunately, a few more times to go I gather, I can empathize with Steve that after going through all he has gone through, to not quite be done with it... You are in my prayers and I wish you good health Steve... All the best.

I'd be surprised if the health issue is cancer. Jobs had the surgery to get it out and the path report from that surgery would have been critical in qualifying for the new liver. A path report showing that the tumor had not spread would have been necessary.

I would guess that there are battles with the new liver and those can, hopefully, be addressed. You can be sure that he will have the best medical minds available looking at the situation.

As for Apple, products for 2011 would pretty well be determined and the executive team can handle that very well. Longer term ideas already have Jobs input to some degree and there is excellent talent on hand to deliver. Jonathan Ive is one example.

So now is the time to wish Steve J the best, a speedy recovery and some time with his family.

Having been diagnosed with ESLD (end-stage liver disease) about five months ago, I have had to learn a hell of a lot more about the liver than I really wanted to. Mine is compensated (which I believe means that my liver is functioning at greater than 10% efficiency) so I'm not showing any major signs yet, but once the thing de-compensates (less than 10% efficiency) then prognosis is very poor if you don't get a liver transplant. My physician says it is one of the worst ways to die -- I'll spare you the gory details -- just look up words like varices, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy.

This disease literally turns your life upside down -- day becomes night and night becomes day. Most of the time all you want to do is sleep during the day, you feel tired & listless but come the darkness you actually feel lively, energetic and wide-awake. Everyone else is fast asleep and you get hit with loneliness and depression -- you have absolutely no control over this whatsoever.

A liver transplant doesn't guarantee anything, and no doctor would be stupid enough to predict how long a person is likely to live after transplant -- liver disease can come back even if you've had a transplant.

This is the kind of disease that any decent human being wouldn't ever wish upon their worst enemy, so I just hope that whatever SJ's problem might be, that this discussion doesn't end up in the gutter with snide comments about the man himself or the impending demise of Apple Inc.

Of course I wish Steve and his family the best.

Having said that, I also think Steve will stay with Apple but essentially be the CEO in absentia. He basically will be gone from Apple.

So who will deliver iPhone 5/iPad 2 keynote?

You heard wrong.

Will not be gone. I think he explicitly mentioned that he will not be.

Who says so?

Love the part in italics..

No it isn't. Look at a market where it is still trading (e.g. Germany). Roughly -8.5%

Not a big panic yet, but given Apple's fundamentals, it is bound to be a temporary dip.

I suspect this has been planned in combination with the financials tomorrow. Those might soften the blow.

The line between visionary and sociopath has always thin. Apple under jobs is high risk high reward. He's willing to take those risks because all he cares about is his vision and he's prepared to fail and fail spectacularly if the customer doesn't share it. Normal people can't do this. The little angel on their right shoulder won't let them.

So all those former Apple employees were lying.

Guess the original Macintosh team and later hardware engineers don't know about their own working environment.

I'm totally surprised at how many people on this thread have immediately jumped to the conclusion that Steve Jobs is "over" at Apple based on this one announcement.

He's been looking healthier and healthier, day by day since his operation and looked fairly robust the last time we saw him at an event, but the first word that he is going to take some time off for his health and everyone is writing his obituary already.

We also know that the type of cancer he had doesn't typically return for years and years, that he had the best doctor in the country for the operation. Odds are, he is just taking a well deserved break for his mental and physical health IMO.

It's kind of funny in that I am always being taken to task for being a sort of "glass half empty" person on this forum, but it never even occurred to me when I heard the news that he was having a re-occurance of his cancer, yet everyone else seems ready to start digging his grave tomorrow.

This is what makes perfect timing / sense.

Steve can be away, Tim does the announcement, folks clammer for the new products, and Steve can sit back, relax and enjoy life.

We ALL have to get over it, and understand, APPLE has to have a back-up plan. Steve WILL NOT live forever, sorry folks, but it's a fact.

So, Tim, Steve and Apple folks, planned this very well, and for the good of Apple and everyone involved. Good for them.

Skip

Who gives a shit...

Dude that was almost thirty years ago.

I bet there are lots of execs out there that if we asked their high-school mates what they were like in their twenties would elicit the same kind of description. It has no bearing on who Steve Jobs is today as a fifty something CEO.

Has there ever been a young man anywhere who once having obtained a position of power, didn't abuse it or turn into a classic *sshole?

He's a very driven man, I suspect not much can keep him out of Apple for long. Listen to your doctors Steve & get some rest, Tim can handle it!

Cancer is a trickster. It has a way of suddenly reappearing without warning in a more potent and permanently disabling form. This I know. Steve's unexpectedly soon announcement is a sure sign to me that he needs to spend his remaining time on more important matters with his family.

Agreed with you New England.

Ohh- pleaseeee, you Worry-Hogs. Cut the man some slack

The man asked for medical time off to treat some lingering medical issues, there is nothing to worry about. Every good doctor would give such advice to his/her patients. For a brilliant executive like Steve and a well functioning Board like Apples, I would be surprised if they dont have their product plans laid out for the next 3 to 5 years.

If you have been following Apples product strategy, youd notice how orderly each events, product launch have been planned; they are well orchestrated, even when Steve was on medical leave before, there is no incidental success stories when it comes to Apple.

I want to join all you well-wishers out there to wish him a speedy and full recovery and some well-deserved time off for such an extraordinary run in world most successful company.

I cant wait till tomorrow and the stock breaks all-time high again after the Conf. Call. Watching all of those sellers scrambling to buy back in will be quite a show; someone should create an app for that .

Go Tim Cook!!! Let those sales numbers speak for themselves!!! AAPL to $500 here we go!!!!

We don't even know if the man is sick or what he has if he has anything. It could just be a preventative measure given his previous health issues.

Clearly. I think this timing mitigates against the idea of an emergency medical leave. It appears to be strategic--blowout earnings to be announced tomorrow. Hotly anticipated iPad2 soon to be announced. iPhone 5 probably wrapping up design and preparing for build-out. And, oh yeah, Verizon deal completed.

It is possible that workaholic Steve just needs to step it down for a bit. In any case, all this posting about him as if he were departed is a little unseemly...

Privacy does not have to be earned. It's pretty much a birth rite. It's sad that our mass media can't seem to understand such a simple concept.

I'm looking at this as a buy opportunity. I plan to get another 30 shares first thing tomorrow morning for a long position.

I think Cook has proven himself in the past. His history, combined with what should be a stellar earnings call makes me think this will just be a blip. There's usually a selloff after AAPL's earnings call, but I think we'll see $350 by the end of next week.

This is my retirement fund we're talking about, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed\

Steve jobs has quite a bit of weight in terms of sway. His absence, for however long, will diminish Apple's ability to show vision and persuade. But then again, is that vision infallible? For instance, I have read that SJ did not initially support the iPod development. If this is true, what an indictment that is, for Apple is probably best known for it's iPods and now iPhones. Also, although everyone seems to rage over his Keynote deliveries, take away the SJ aura, and his delivery isn't particularly impressive.

Steve Jobs certainly has a lot of history and credibility which has developed his ability to sway. But it was Raskin who developed the Mac, not Steve. So all I'm saying is that there are quite likely a few other Raskins about at Apple and Apple needs to develop another person with sway. For my money, the most eloquent presenter at Apple keynotes is Scott Forstall. Even when Steve comes back, I'd like to see SF take more prominence - especially in Apple KeyNotes.

Best wishes for a quick recovery, Steve. The world still needs you.

Could you find some other deity to blaspheme or better yet, just find a non-offensive expletive to express your emotions? I mean, unless you were praying to Jesus Christ about Steve's health ...

When people are recovering from any kind of cancer and organ transplant there's always hormonal imbalances. They are pretty common and people just need to relax and slow down. Hope Steve recovers fast and spends great time with his family.

I agree -- if the dude wants privacy, then as a shareholder, I'm happy to let him have it. Special people deserve special treatment.

Well I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't mostly extremely knackered, exhausted and mentally shattered after coming back from all the cancer and transplant stuff...maybe he needs some more months off for continued recuperation, he ain't as young as he etc etc...

Meantime, Apple's legacy of its most successful period (and the greatest comeback in business history) will allow Cook and Ive to keep the ball rolling.

Definitely.

I feel selfish in saying this but I hope we get him back. I hope this is not all of 'Jobs at Apple. His vision and direction has been critical. I know as much as we will miss his direction and insight his family will miss him more. Steve is much more than an incredible businessman, visionary, and leader. Those close to him at work no how harsh and biting he can be. Those that know him personally know he is just as passionate (if not more so) regarding his love and caring for his family.

Most of all, I wish him a speedy recovery, good time with his family and those he loves and the ability to stay focused on resolving health issues.

Of course he isn't infallible, but I hadn't heard that he was against the iPod. I doubt it would have made it to market if he was.

His keynotes aren't what they were before his first leave, but they are still excellent. His "Aura" is just his ability to deliver the material well.

I have to do frequent presentations to large groups, and I have a nasty case of stage fright. If it wasn't for studying SJ's keynotes, I'd be hopeless. As it is, I do a killer presentation. I always try to put my presentation together the way he does, using the same words and phrasing and powerpoints. Because of that, my presentations are excellent.

Steve is not God, and his absence will be felt, but he is an amazing CEO and visionary. I wish him all the best.

Not sure he'll be able to bring himself to do that, he would loose his trump power. Right now he can step in & call it on any project he chooses, he still loves his job too much to hand over the reigns.

Gurrl quit with the PC crap. There is nothing offensive about using the words Jesus Christ!

God Damn it? Oh my God? Holy crap? Let's face it, it's hard to curse without blaspheming. Thats kind of the point. I don't want to insult your beliefs, but cut the guy some slack.

Ex-employees are like an ex-spouse ....... not sure many people would want a recommendation from an ex-spouse. Do you? ...