Apple founder Steve Jobs died yesterday after a protracted battle with pancreatic cancer.
He died on a day Apple shares fell 1.2 per cent to $373.73 in pre-market trading in the United States.
The 56-year-year-old lived and breathed the business which began life in a garage and became the most valuable company in the world.
There have been four apples that changed the world. The one that Eve ate, the one that fell on Newton’s head, The Beatles Record label and the business Jobs named after that.
Jobs once said: “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful. That’s what matters to me.”
Tributes, led by President Barack Obama, began pouring in within minutes of the company confirming the death of the mastermind behind the iPhone, iPad and the iPod at the age of 56.
Fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to Steve Jobs' in their masses. Within minutes of the announcement by Apple, RIP Steve Jobs was trending.
Soon after iHeaven, iClouds, iSad and ThankYouSteve also began repeatedly to be tweeted.
In the hour after his death was announced, there were more than 170,000 mentions of 'RIP Steve Jobs' on Twitter.
A statement by Apple’s board of directors said:”We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today...Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”
Jobs leaves a wife, a son and two daughters.
His relatives also released a statement, which said he “died peacefully today, surrounded by his family.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the news of Jobs’s death to Apple employees via e-mail, in which he said: ‘I have some very sad news I want to share with all of you.
‘’Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon.
“No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him.”
Obama tweeted: “Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. From all of us at Obama2012, thank you for the work you make possible every day - including ours.”
Mr Obama later gave a fuller statement, in which he praised Jobs as a ‘visionary’ who was “bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”
He added: “And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”
Steve Wozniak, who started Apple with Jobs in 1976, said he will miss him ‘as much as everyone’.
As CEO he earned only $1 a year, but he held 5,426 million Apple shares as well as 138 million shares in Disney.
His wealth is estimated at more than $5billion.
With his trademark jeans and casual jumper, he became synonymous with the company’s every innovation in recent years, from the iPod through to the iPhone and iPad.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates also spoke of the 'profound impact' Jobs had on the world.
“I'm truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs' death. Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.
'The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honour. I will miss Steve immensely.”
Google Chief Executive Larry Page posted on his Google+ account: “He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me.”
In a statement, Bob Iger, chief executive of Walt Disney, described Jobs as a person whose 'legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built.'
California Governor Jerry Brown,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former California governor and Hollywood actor, Michael Dell, CEO and founder Dell Inc, also described him as a visionary.
-The Nation
