Apple’s Steve Jobs takes medical leave of absence


17 Jan 2011

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs will take a medical leave of absence, though he will stay on as CEO and remain involved in “major strategic decisions” for the company.

In a letter to Apple employees,  Jobs said the board of directors has granted him this time off and COO Tim Cook will take responsibility for Apple’s day-to-day operations.

The cause of Jobs’ medical leave of absence is unclear. He beat pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009.

Jobs said he will return “as soon as (he) can” and he and his family requests respect for their privacy during this time.