Apple CEO Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence, according to a media advisory posted to the company’s Web site on Monday.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]”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,” reads the statement.
“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.
“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.”
Jobs last stepped aside in 2009 went he underwent a liver transplant.
Cook, Apple’s COO since 2007, previously took over for Jobs when he underwent treatment for pancreatic cancer and later during Jobs’ recuperation from his liver transplant surgery.
Cook was hired by Jobs in 1998 as senior vice president of worldwide operations. Prior to Apple, Cook worked in senior roles at Compaq, Intelligent Electronics and IBM.
Updated 7:52 AM with details on Tim Cook.
First and foremost: Get well soon Steve!
These things will happen now:
AAPL will drop by a few bucks, only to rise again, once we near the iPad 2 unveiling.
Fuckwits will claim that it was Jobs’s health that kept him from attending the Verizon iPhone keynote, not the lack of importance.
Fuckwits will furthermore claim that Apple is now doomed (again…), these claim will be made into delicious claim chowder once Apple’s stock reaches $400,- shortly after unveiling the 2nd generation iPad.
Tim Cook will lead Apple to another record quarter, showing the strenght of his management-fu, which will be ignored by most pundits, who’ll declare that he’s being possesed by Jobs’s evil spirit.
“Fuckwits will claim that it was Jobs’s health that kept him from attending the Verizon iPhone keynote, not the lack of importance.”
On the contrary, I think the Verizon event *was* very important to Apple.
Apple COO Tim Cook, VP of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller and VP of iPhone and iPod product marketing Greg Joswiak were all there. Basically, everyone who would have been there at a major Apple event *was* there but Steve.
I should’ve phrased this differently:
The event was certainly important for the US; Apple’s largest market and as you said;
As you and others have stated elsewhere, this wasn’t a major Apple event, it’s just another carrier for Apple, which is why I think Jobs wasn’t there.
Steve is simply sitting out a few games, but his focus is still clearly on Apple’s game plans–for this year.
He’s still with us, and this year could yet be a doozie for Apple and its customers.
Once again, people speculate. All we know is what we’ve been told, unless someone wants to break his privacy. The rumours will be plentiful and outrageous.
Get well, Steve. Rest, and come back!
The team Steve has around him have shown they’re more than capable of steering the ship so if he needs some time off to focus on his health that’s not going to change much anyway. He is still involved in the big strategic decisions so I can’t this changing much except Tim is going to be doing the day to day business stuff.
It could also be Steve is just sick of only getting $1 a year and like many underpaid minions has decided it’s time to chuck a few sickies and give himself an extended mental health month/year.
Steve is about talking about Apple products, the others about Apple business. Verizon was more business than about a new Apple product. Other than addition of CDMA it’s the same damn phone, not something Steve would intro, there is no cool factor to this phone except to wireless fanatics.