In a move that will definitely shake things up as far as Apple stocks are concerned, Steve Jobs has relinquished his CEO position to take a medical leave until June of this year. Here's his letter to the 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
In his place will be Tim Cook who is more than qualified to take on the task. Prior to Macworld, Apple’s stock plummeted due to concerns regarding Steve Job’s health. However, things managed to ease out when he made public his current health situation. Now, as he temporarily steps down as CEO, some investors will certainly have doubts about Apple’s immediate future without the man wo was largely responsible for getting the world mesmerized with the iPhone.
While his letter reassures his return in June, the question on everybody's mind right now is; is this a way to slowly get people accustomed to the fact that Steve Jobs will no longer be part of Apple one day, or as his letter states, just a way for him to ‘focus on his health’? We’ll certainly find out more as the months go by, but as for the here and now, Apple will be Jobs-less. Get well Steve!
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