Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO

[BackLoafRiver]

Pretty sure this was all but official months ago:

http://www.bgr.com/2011/08/24/heres-steve-jobs-resignation-letter-to-apple-and-you/

I think Tim Cook has been calling the shots for quite some time. I wonder what long-term impact this will have.

 

[Nick]

I dunno. He really was the face of the company.

I hope his health issues work out OK, I don't wish that on anyone...

 

[thetrailboss]

The earthquake, hurricane, and now this? The world is coming to an end! :wink:

It gives the markets another thing to flip out over. :roll:

 

[Glenn]

Like Apple or not, that guy has done a heckofa job with it. I mean, people wait in line for refreshes of devices. Other companies would kill to have kind of brand cachet.

Hope he's OK. With a big product launch in Sept/Oct, it makes me wonder.

 

[deadheadskier]

I'm amazed he's stuck around with the company as long as he has. If I were him, I would've hung it up in 2004 when he was 1st diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

Then again, for some people, their work is one of the most enjoyable/important things in their lives. My Uncle was diagnozed with Stage 4 Esophogheal Cancer nearly 2 years ago. Half the patients with his condition are gone in 6 months, 75% in 2 years and only 5% make it 5 years. So far, he's doing remarkably well after some hardcore surgery during the 1st year. He's kept working full time through it despite having plenty of money to retire.

 

[andyzee]

I'm amazed he's stuck around with the company as long as he has. If I were him, I would've hung it up in 2004 when he was 1st diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

Then again, for some people, their work is one of the most enjoyable/important things in their lives. My Uncle was diagnozed with Stage 4 Esophogheal Cancer nearly 2 years ago. Half the patients with his condition are gone in 6 months, 75% in 2 years and only 5% make it 5 years. So far, he's doing remarkably well after some hardcore surgery during the 1st year. He's kept working full time through it despite having plenty of money to retire.

Yep DHS, same here. I could never understand how folks make billions and yet continure working. Me, I'd want to enjoy life, especially if I'm diagnosed with a terminal disease, screw work.

 

[drjeff]

Yep DHS, same here. I could never understand how folks make billions and yet continure working. Me, I'd want to enjoy life, especially if I'm diagnosed with a terminal disease, screw work.

It's pretty easy to fathom actually. For many of the folks that made it big, their passion and enjoyment in life is their work. I'm guessing that Steve Jobs is probably much happier when he's brainstorming a new tech concept than say sitting on a beach.

It's really the same concept as to why you see a bunch of "successful" newly retired business folks(heck or even some tradespeople/artisans, who have more than enough $$ to live out the rest of their lives without any financial worry, relatively quickly start doing some consulting work back in their field. What really makes them happy, and frankly in many cases keeps their minds young and fresh, is the challenge of finding a solution for the problem infront of them. For some people, they are lucky enough to find a career where they truly enjoy what they do, so in a sense, it's not really "work" for them, not matter what income level they might have.

 

[deadheadskier]

My dad was a workaholic high profile investment banker in New England. Worked 70 hours a week easy. Loved making deals. We had the ski house in Vermont, but he'd call it a day at 1 on Saturday and spend the afternoon reviewing business plans and then call it again at 11 on Sundays doing the same thing. Companies like Bose and Cannondale to name a couple, wouldn't be where they are today without the financing he did for them and consultation on their business models.

He called it quits at 55. Why? He saw too many guys his age dropping dead of heart attacks in his field. He didn't want to leave my mom a young widow.

I thought for certain he'd be back to work within 2 years. His phone still rings for jobs 10 years later. I think a big reason he's been able to stay away is my folks retired to a golf course community in Florida where many of the residents come from a similar background. He keeps his mind fresh discussing world business on the golf course with his buddies 18 holes a day.

I hope Steve Jobs isn't so ill that he at least doesn't get a decade or more time in life spending time with his family.

I don't think anyone says on their death bed, "Gee, I wish I worked more hours in my life."

 

[Glenn]

I'm too young to think about retiring. But if I ever was able to retire early, I'd probably buy a huge amount of land, a farm and just keep busy. I can't sit on the beach or play golf all day. I need to be doing something.

 

[bigbog]

I'm amazed he's stuck around with the company as long as he has. If I were him, I would've hung it up in 2004 when he was 1st diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

Then again, for some people, their work is one of the most enjoyable/important things in their lives. My Uncle was diagnozed with Stage 4 Esophogheal Cancer nearly 2 years ago. Half the patients with his condition are gone in 6 months, 75% in 2 years and only 5% make it 5 years. So far, he's doing remarkably well after some hardcore surgery during the 1st year. He's kept working full time through it despite having plenty of money to retire.

Exactly....the mental stimulation of their work keeps DOers from getting immobilized by their physical issues....

 

[wa-loaf]

Bunch of tweets regarding Job's retirement:

@bgurley Bill Gurley, general partner, Benchmark Capital: Steve Jobs run at Apple is likely the very best CEO execution we will see in our lifetime. Amazing.

@jimcramer Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's Mad Money: Very sad news about Steve Jobs at $AAPL. He is America's greatest industrialist. Perhaps the greatest ever.

@janewells Jane Wells, business reporter, CNBC: Geez. Overreacting? I don't think I've felt this sad about someone I don't know since John Lennon.

@susanorlean Susan Orlean, writer and author: Very sad hearing about Steve Jobs. That can't be good news about his health.

@jason_pontin James Pontin, Editor-in-Chief, MIT Technology Review: Steve Jobs was my first interview in tech. He was at NeXT; it was 1994. He told me to f-off: "I invented the Mac, and it's still the best!"

@Pogue David Pogue, personal tech columnist, New York Times: Steve Jobs resigned as CEO today. There's probably 2 years of great
Apple stuff in the pipeline, but after that ...

@fivethirtyeight Nate Silver, Five Thirty Eight blog editor and columnist, New York Times: AAPL has lost $18 billion in market capitalization since the Jobs news broke, about the same as the GDP of Paraguay.

@michaelroston Michael Roston, home page producer, New York Times: Have to wonder: Will Steve Jobs do anymore Apple keynotes? Or was the last one The Last One?

@harrymccracken Harry McCracken, founder and editor of Technologizer blog: Still unimaginable: that Jobs was the most important person in personal technology both in 1978 and in 2011.

@Arrington Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor, TechCrunch: This just plain sucks.

@Scobolizer Robert Scoble, tech evangelist: Steve Jobs, has been named Chairman, so not all is totally dire. Being CEO is tough work.

@cenedella, Marc Cenedella Founder and CEO, The Ladders: Some of my favorite people writing tasteless Jobs headlines. I think b/c they view him as an institution, not as a dying man w/ a family.

@SteveLevitan Steve Levitan, Co-Creator, Executive Producer of ABC's Modern Family: Very few people I admire as much as Steve Jobs. One of the great visionaries of our lifetime. I wish him a long & happy retirement.

@Alyssa_Milano Alyssa Milano, actress: I want to put a ding in the universe. ~Steve Jobs #quote

@defcon_5: Jobs is the only CEO Joe six-pack knows by name. Rex Tillerson? Who? Steve Ballmer? Wha? Warren Buffett? The margaritaville guy?

@TheBillWalton: Steve Jobs' resignation as CEO of Apple should be no surprise to anyone. It's been listed on page 46 of iTunes terms & conditions for weeks.

@FakeSarahPalin: See, I told you Obama is killing Jobs.

@inthefade: Ok, I declare a moratorium on putting "i" in front of any word regarding Steve Jobs for the next 48 hours.

@BrianLynch: YES, Steve Jobs has resigned. But I hear that Steve Jobs 2 will be Verizon compatible, so, glass app half full.

@hemeon: I think we should all grow beards in memory of Steve Jobs.

@placito: "Why do people care so much about Steve Jobs resigning?" he said as he typed on a square of glass that contained all the music he ever owned

@sweetney: Steve Jobs, thank you for everything. Be healthy, happy and well. Love, Mac Users Everywhere.