CNBC is reporting that Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence from the company due to health reasons. Earlier this month, Apple published an open letter from Jobs, in which he blamed his recent weight loss on a “hormone imbalance.” He said it would take several months to regain the weight, and reassured investors and followers alike that he would remain Apple’s CEO during his recovery. The story is developing; we will update this story as more details emerge.
Update: Apple has released a copy of Jobs’ internal email sent out to Apple employees announcing the decision.
The full text appears below.
“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.
