Reuters) – Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, after a years-long and highly public battle with cancer and other health issues.
Jobs’ death was announced by Apple in a statement late on Wednesday. The Apple.com homepage featured a black-and-white picture of him with the words “Steve Jobs, 1955-2011.”
The Silicon Valley icon who gave the world the iPod and the iPhone had resigned as CEO of the world’s largest technology corporation in August, handing the reins to current chief executive Tim Cook.
A survivor of a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in America.
“Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve,” Apple said in a statement announcing Jobs’ passing.
