Steve Jobs taking leave from Apple due to complex health issues
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
Readers are invited to discuss this matter in our forums.
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
Readers are invited to discuss this matter in our forums.
Comments
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
Get well soon.
Shit there goes my stock
Glad to see you are thinking about Steve's health!
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.
Wow, Apple down $10 after trading resumes.
Jimzip
Steve Jobs is Apple. Apple will wither on the vine over several months until they're bought out. It's over!
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.
Oh well, cancer sucks.
You are a giant among men.
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.
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??