Steven P. Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple Inc., told his staff on Monday that he was taking a medical leave of absence, a year and a half after his return from a liver transplant.
“At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health,” he said in a statement to the Apple staff released by the company. “I will continue as C.E.O. and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.”
The statement continued: “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.”
Apple’s stock immediately dipped on foreign exchanges.
