Steve Jobs Taking New Medical Leave of Absence [Updated]

091350 jobs forbes 400 2010

Apple today issued a media advisory revealing that Steve Jobs has been granted a "medical leave of absence" from the company. Jobs plans to continue serving as CEO, although Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will oversee Apple's day to day operations during Jobs' absence.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team,

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.

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.

Steve

No timetable for his expected return has been given.

Jobs had previously suffered from pancreatic cancer and had reportedly been cured of the disease back in 2004. But Jobs announced in January 2009 that he would be taking a six-month leave of absence for medical reasons. It was later revealed that he received a liver transplant during that time.

Update: The New York Times reports on a source claiming that Jobs has been suffering from "ups and downs" typical of those dealing with immune system issues related to liver transplants, but that Jobs had recently scaled back his activities at Apple as one of those down cycles began in recent weeks.

Mr. Jobs suffers from immune system issues common with people who have received liver transplants and, as a result, his health suffers from frequent "ups and downs," according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it.

In recent weeks, Mr. Jobs began a down cycle and slowed his activities at Apple, the person said. Mr. Jobs has been coming to the office about two days a week, and appeared increasingly emaciated, the person said. He frequently lunched in his office, rather than in the company cafeteria, the person said.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Prime Day Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Monday July 7, 2025 10:55 am PDT by
Amazon is back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront. With the event now underway, we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a...

Top Rated Comments

HLdan Avatar
189 months ago
Do you think everybody in this world must follow your method of close-mindedness? I can vote however I feel. How is it your business to tell people what is right or wrong? Believe it or not, Steve's health is more important than running a company. ;)
Yes, in fact it is my business as well it's everyone else's business here since you posted on a public forum and shared with everybody what way you voted. If you want your business kept to yourself then don't post. I do have a right to comment on your post as well as you just commented on mine.:rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HLdan Avatar
189 months ago
In all honesty news are not about sympathy in general. They are about news or journalistic value. I find it bit silly even to start evaluating and rating news according to their sympathy value.

To you voting positive might mean: "[...] you're glad he's taking a leave and you're glad he's sick and you're glad there's negative news about him". To me it means that this news is important and it can have effect on Apple, their products and eventually on their customers. To me the value of the news has nothing to do with sympathy. If you honestly think that positive votes are from "[...] from people who hate SJ". Then I think you are mistaken. I think vast majority who voted positive are those who read this like a news site without emotional evolvement including without hate or prejudice.

Okay, then explain to me why there's so little positive votes here and so many negative ones. In this case the negative isn't considered vindictive as it usually is. People are genuinely concerned about SJ's health and the health of Apple and the stock holders if he has to step down due to illness. Voting positive that he's reporting that he's taken ill certainly doesn't sound like any of the above.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)