Steve Jobs takes 'medical leave of absence' from Apple
Cupertino boss hopes to return soon
Apple CEO Steve Jobs told staff at the company today that he was taking a "medical leave of absence".
He did not reveal specifics about why he had been given time off from the Mac and iPhone maker.
"At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company," he told employees in an email.
"I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011."
Earlier this month Apple advised its shareholders to vote against a proposal to reveal a “succession-planning policy” for the company’s CEO.
"I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy," said Jobs.
The Apple boss returned from medical leave in June 2009 after receiving a life-saving liver transplant. ®
COMMENTS
Get well soon
Seriously guys, its probally a recurrance of his cancer, I mean for gods sake, hate his products if you will, but at least try to remind yourselves, your members of the human race once in a while!
Absolutely agree.
However, that's kinda not the point. Steve Jobs is two entities - he is a private individual, one of 6.8 billion on the planet, in which capacity it's sad that he's ill, but I'm not going to pretend he deserves any more of my time or emotions than any one of the other 6.8 billion people who I have never met, and never will meet, when they get sick and, eventually, die.
In his other persona, he is the boss of a company in the industry I've worked in for thirty years. And as such, my immediate response is *always* going to be "How does this impact my industry, my working practices, my finances."
Sorry if anyone finds that offensive, it's just the way of the world. If you want to fly out to Cupertino and lay a bunch of flowers on his grave, be my guest, although personally I'd rather you didn't unless you actually know him personally and are grieving for him, rather than the horribly mawkish way we have developed since St. Diana died of projecting our un-expressed grief from people we do know onto celebrities who we don't know.
GJC
Title
Some classy comments here, nothing funnier than a man struggling to fight cancer eh?
Nice one.
