Steve Jobs stepping down as CEO until June. Opinions?

You have some kind of official source for this? I can’t find any confirmation of it, either on the official Apple site or on any of the Apple rumor sites.

Watch CNBC. It’s all over it.

CNBC hosting a copy of the Apple Media Advisory:

Jan 14, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/—Apple CEO Steve Jobs today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team, I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Here ya go: Link

I hope he’ll be back. More than that, I hope he is OK and returns to health.
As for Apple, I would like to think that in the past decade or so, he has developed a team of like-minded individuals who will continue his innovative vision, commitment to quality and seamless design.

My prediction: stock price is going to tank in the short term. Wall Street operates on fear and greed, and right now fear is ascendant. However, Jobs has an excellent team in place, and the company will continue to do amazing things even in his absence, so once the pendulum starts swinging back towards greed, the price is going to recover.

I won’t predict how long it will take to swing back, but when it does, the people who stuck it out and bought when the price was low will make a killing.

@cprevite
I too hope that he’s ok and will come back. I guess I’m worrying over the price of my apple stock, but I do plan to hold for the long term. If the stock does tank, which I’m sure it will, I actually might buy a bit more.

Ah, he beat cancer once, he’ll beat whatever medical issue he has.

Note: he’s not stepping down as CEO, just taking a medical LOA.

Hope he has a full recovery, but god forbid if it’s his time, he’s left a hell of a legacy and some big shoes to fill.

I’m glad for Mr Jobs; he been looking like the walking dead. Let him rest up.

I hope this isn’t his time, but if it is, it’s heartening to know there’s a team in place to continue his vision. I have no stock in Apple. Yet.

:’(