Steve Jobs Takes a Leave of Absence
Steve just sent this email to close friends and Apple employees.
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
Last week, Steve sent a public note saying he was sick and wanted to reassure everyone that he would be Ok. The time off will benefit him and it’s important to keep in mind that he remains the CEO and while he won’t be there day to day to take every decision, he will be there to guide the company. Looking at Twitter this afternoon, a lot of people are panicking and saying that Jobs is basically stepping down, but let’s reserve panic when there’s something important taking place. This is not Steve’s first leave of absence, and just like last time, until further notice I expect him to come back to Apple.
In the meantime, I’ll wish him best of luck with his health. With all he’s done for Apple (and Pixar), he has certainly earned it.
