Steve Jobs Dead

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs has died in California due to complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 56.

A statement from Apple read : "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. 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.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Jobs was seen as an innovator in the consumer electronics space, taking Apple from the brink of bankruptcy in 1996, to being one of the world leaders in home and business computing, portable music devices and smartphones.

Jobs founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne and quickly became a leader in its field releasing the game changing MacIntosh, which brought computers into the home.

Two years after hiring former Pepsi president John Scully to run Apple, Jobs was fired by Scully after a slump in sales. However, things never really recovered and Jobs came back to the company in 1996 after dabbling in movies via Pixar and his NeXT Computer venture, which Apple bought and helped facilitate his return.

Once back, there seemed to no stopping Jobs as he launched the iMac, iPod, iTouch, iPhone and iPad – all becoming standard bearers in the eclectic world of consumer electronics.

In 2004 Jobs announced that he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer, which he seemed to recover from without the need for radiation or chemotherapy. Since then there were many rumours about the state of his health culminating in a liver transplant and a six month leave of absence in 2009 from the company. In August this year, Jobs announced his resignation from the company without expanding on the underlying reasons he was leaving. COO Tim Cook took over CEO duties.

Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene Powell and four children.