Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be taking a medical leave of absence from Apple for an unknown amount of time. Reporters have noticed that he has been looking increasingly frail recently.
Jobs was also supposed to be at the Verizon iPhone press release event last week and apparently didn't make it.
Apple employees received the following notice in emails today:
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
The last time Jobs took a leave of absence, in 2009,
he received a liver transplant. He recovered from pancreatic
cancer in 2004. Those who have read deeply into the announcement suggest
that Jobs will not be back at Apple this year. They also don't like
that he did not reveal what his medical ailment is this time.
In 2010 Jobs spoke at the WWDC in June and was at an Apple TV announcement in September. Stock analysts predict that Apple stock value will decline. Apple's monumental success is often attributed to Jobs.
The U.S. Transplant site reports that the adult liver
transplant one-year survival rate is about 85 percent. The percentage
drops to 60 percent if the patient is critically ill at the time of
transplantation. The survival rate for adult liver
transplant at five years is about 80 percent.