Steve Jobs announces he is ailing but will remain on as Apple CEO

By on Jan 5, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Rumor January 5, 2009

In an unusual and curiously-timed press release that leaves us scratching our heads, Steve Jobs has informed the Apple community that he is suffering from a hormone imbalance that caused his drastic weight loss. He is currently under treatment for the condition and will remain in place as Apple CEO without interruption. He also provides his reason for skipping Macworld this year. He wanted to spend more time with family instead of feverishly prepping for a Macworld keynote. Hit the jump for the entire press release and we wish Steve all the best for a speedy recovery.

Letter From Apple CEO Steve Jobs

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause — a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

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  • LastHero

    To Steve Jobs:

    Please get better and take all the time in the world to recover.
    Without you, the techworld will never be the same.
    No one to challenge the impossible and change the world.
    To me and to many others out there. You are a Hero.

  • blah

    Steve… Give up the wheat grass, and go grab yourself some cheeseburgers at McD’s, that’ll fatten ya back up in no time.

    Seriously though… hope ya have a speedy recovery

  • doctibby

    What we have here is a person who is sick who wants to spend time with his family. Any reasons for his ailing health is none of our concern and he should not have to explain anything to anyone. How would you feel having to write a letter stating your medical problems and have it published. There are a lot of reasons besides cancer why someone can loose weight.

    Many people often speak about others when they have nothing better to offer. It is called gossip and gossip often leads to trouble. Being in the medical field, I can only offer my support for his recovery and the best to him and his family in this time of need. You don’t have to like a person to give well wishes but it is the kind thing to do. I know I would want the same if it was me.

  • Dingus McGhee

    @LastHero: can you be any more groveling? He’s a corporate CEO not the damned second coming. So what, the guy runs a successful company and is responsible for the dumbing down of the personal computer into a console. Whoopty doo.

    Thanks a lot Jobs. You showed us all that people would pay anything not to have to learn something and to look cool. The computer geeks were always the ones who shunned that label-consciousness and style-chasing crap. Now personal electronics have been turned into Prada and Gucci and Coach where the label and the look will justify any price and specs are secondary.

    Thanks, Jobsy. Thanks for teaching us all to “Think Different” by all looking the same.

  • Rudy

    Galvatron,

    I really don’t care what opinion it is that you have, but for the future could you speak ENGLISH and quit sounding like such a DUMBASS!? Maybe run your words through Microsoft Word or something equivalent?

    If your IQ is going to remain less than a dim watt light bulb, then please refrain from posting. It’s painful for us to put our eyes on.

  • Galvatron

    wow I never relaized how much the grammar nazi’s cared

  • backbeat

    ^Didn’t they teach you anything in neurolinguistic class, tool? ;)

  • th33nforcer

    Wow we have mentions of hell, karma, Nazis, and an outcry of passion for a CEO all in the same comments of one post. This is definitely going to be an interesting year.

  • backbeat

    I don’t think there is any evidence of ‘passion’, per se, but of _compassion_ at a time when appropriate. Those calling for Jobs’ head and screaming ‘SELL!’ are less than human and/or too depraved to value life.

  • Galvatron

    oh i value life just not Jobbs’

  • backbeat

    ^We’re _all_ Steve Jobs.

    Idiot.

  • HECTOR

    Wow GALVATRON HAS DEEP ISSUES WITHIN HIMSELF….HE IS MAD AT THE WORLD….NO HE IS ONLY MAD AT APPLE/STEVE JOBS…….WHAT A DUMB ASS DEVIL LOVING PIG YOU ARE.

  • S. Winner

    So Macs can get viruses as well, go figure :(

  • Meryl

    People are so damn insensitive, regardless of personal investors deciding whether to dump or hold onto their stocks soley based on Steve Jobs health, think of him as another human being, one who I am sure despite his millions is suffering from a terrible disease. Pancreatic cancer is non curable for the most part and a bitch, pain intolerable. I commend him for being a vegan and hope he has the right holistic, alternative, and depending on what treatment he is receiving (chemo destroys ones immune system) the best mainstream cancer specialists to help him through this.
    PEACE TO ALL FOR WE WILL NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET,,,and believe me,,,no one wants to help this country out and I don’t blame them.

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