Steve Jobs taking leave from Apple due to complex health issues

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs sent an email to Apple employees on Wednesday revealing that his health-related issues are more complex than he originally thought and that he'll be ceding day-to-day operations to COO Tim Cook until the end of June.



The news arrives just over a week after the executive hoped to calm fears ahead of Macworld by revealing a hormone imbalance as a principle factor in his weight loss throughout 2008.



The surprise revelation is meant to dampen concerns but indirectly corroborates technology blog rumors that Jobs' health was the true reason for the exit, with no guarantees in place that he would present in the future.



Jobs and his company have engineered a near-complete turnaround in their respective approaches to the CEO's health versus most of 2008. Since appearing frail at the WWDC keynote in June, the co-founder and those speaking on his behalf have repeatedly insisted that his condition is a "private matter" and, until December, were only willing to divulge information through an off-the-record phone call to a New York Times journalist.



While sudden and public, however, a health-related break from Apple business isn't uncharacteristic for Jobs. After revealing that he had undergone successful surgery for his pancreatic cancer in 2004, the company head took a month off to recover with Cook again taking the reins.



The full text of Jobs' Wednesday email follows:



Team,



I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.



In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.



I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple's day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.



I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.



Steve





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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 241
    Just caught that on MarketWatch:



    4:39pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Jobs: Health issues 'more complex' than thought - MarketWatch

    4:39pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Jobs: Public curiosity over health a 'distraction' - MarketWatch

    4:37pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Jobs to remain involved in major strategic decisions - MarketWatch

    4:36pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Steve Jobs taking medical leave until end of June - MarketWatch

    4:37pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Tim Cook to handle day-to-day operations - MarketWatch

    4:33pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple late-traded shares halted for news pending - MarketWatch

    4:32pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple late-traded shares halted - MarketWatch



    Hope Steve gets well soon!



    --DotComCTO
  • Reply 2 of 241
    Get well soon Steve!
  • Reply 3 of 241
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Shit there goes my stock
  • Reply 4 of 241
    Wow. I hope Steve gets better soon. Best of luck to you!!!
  • Reply 5 of 241
    gugygugy Posts: 794member
    Steve, I wish all the best for you.

    Get well soon.
  • Reply 6 of 241
    parkyparky Posts: 383member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post


    Shit there goes my stock



    Glad to see you are thinking about Steve's health!
  • Reply 7 of 241
    amac4meamac4me Posts: 282member
    All the best Steve.
  • Reply 8 of 241
    All the best to Steve, get well soon!
  • Reply 9 of 241
    boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
    I'm glad he's doing this. He really needs the time off to recouperate. All the best, Mr. Jobs!
  • Reply 10 of 241
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DotComCTO View Post


    Just caught that on MarketWatch:



    4:39pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Jobs: Health issues 'more complex' than thought - MarketWatch

    4:39pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Jobs: Public curiosity over health a 'distraction' - MarketWatch

    4:37pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Jobs to remain involved in major strategic decisions - MarketWatch

    4:36pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Steve Jobs taking medical leave until end of June - MarketWatch

    4:37pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple's Tim Cook to handle day-to-day operations - MarketWatch

    4:33pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple late-traded shares halted for news pending - MarketWatch

    4:32pm 01/14/09 \t\t\tApple late-traded shares halted - MarketWatch



    Hope Steve gets well soon!



    --DotComCTO



    Here's a marketwatch: Apple's stock will bleed tomorrow.



    but hopefully not... we'll see. \
  • Reply 11 of 241
    Best of luck of Steve. But this will start a whole new round of speculation, especially since this came upon learning of "new information" about his condition. Interesting that he's not walking away entirely...he'll still approve or veto major strategic decisions.



    Wow, Apple down $10 after trading resumes.
  • Reply 12 of 241
    jimzipjimzip Posts: 446member
    Ah that sucks for him. Hope he's alright.



    Jimzip
  • Reply 13 of 241
    hosshoss Posts: 69member
    The only reason I'm making a selfish comment about a serious health issue is because I wouldn't even know about Apple if it weren't for Steve Jobs. I wouldn't have an imac or an iphone 3G.



    Steve Jobs is Apple. Apple will wither on the vine over several months until they're bought out. It's over!
  • Reply 14 of 241
    vrkiranvrkiran Posts: 110member
    I am not an apple fanboy. I do love some apple products and do feel they can be improved further in many cases, like all "software" based products are.



    Steve has led an incredible comeback in the last 10 years and a couple of years ago, I did not see myself using anything other than iPod. Under his leadership, Apple came out with iPhone, ever improving OSX and a nicely integrated eco system thanks to iTunes.



    But I think it was not just Steve. He must have had help from a number of great engineers and strategists at Apple. While wishing Steve well and hoping that he comes back stronger, I wish well for Apple, to develop more leadership and PR faces to keep the great work going.
  • Reply 15 of 241
    To anyone medically trained, the excuses over the last several months for his declining health were bogus, and may elicit the biggest lawsuits against Apple it has ever seen. Nevertheless, Steve is a good man, and hopefully he recovers.
  • Reply 16 of 241
    Steve is dead meat. This is the beginning of the end. "More complex than I though" with a six month break essentially means there's a high probability he's dying. Not so good for stock holders but possibly good for customers. We might get more variety in Apple products without Steve's hard line on various issues.



    Oh well, cancer sucks.
  • Reply 17 of 241
    g3prog3pro Posts: 669member
    Just quit the company already and let more experienced/better executives take over, like Tim Cook and Phil Schiller. We'll be better off without you.
  • Reply 18 of 241
    We pray for your speedy recovery, Steve.



    You are a giant among men.
  • Reply 19 of 241
    amac4meamac4me Posts: 282member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by g3pro View Post


    Just quit the company already and let more experienced/better executives take over, like Tim Cook and Phil Schiller. We'll be better off without you.



    What kind of comment is that? Steve essentially saved Apple after he came back in 1997. Prior to that, the management almost killed Apple. Steve is a visionary and his influence has clearly been stamped within the Apple culture. This can't be changed overnight by bringing on someone else including Cook or Schiller in the CEO role.
  • Reply 20 of 241
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by g3pro View Post


    Just quit the company already and let more experienced/better executives take over, like Tim Cook and Phil Schiller. We'll be better off without you.





    Steve Balmer? How'd you get on here??



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