Steve Jobs Announces Second Medical Leave of Absence

According to a press release issued this morning, Steve Jobs has announced a second medical leave of absence from Apple. In a companywide email published publicly by BusinessWire, Jobs announced the following:

Team,

At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

Steve

The expected duration of this leave is unknown, but Jobs makes it evident he plans to maintain his role as CEO. When Jobs underwent a liver transplant in 2009, Tim Cook oversaw Apple’s day to day in the interim. As the announcement is still new, it is unknown whether the complications Mr. Jobs has encountered with pancreatic cancer in the past are connected to his current ailments.