President Obama: ‘Steve Jobs among America’s greatest innovators’

By at home

stevejobsUS President Barack Obama has paid his respects to Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder who passed away on October 5th 2011, aged just 56.

President Obama has led the tributes to Steve Jobs, hailing him as one of America’s greatest innovators. The computer entrepreneur and CEO of Apple Inc lost his battle with pancreatic cancer yesterday.

In a statement, President Obama said: “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world and talented enough to do it.

“Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: He changed the way each of us sees the world.

“The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

Bill Gates, the founder of rival technology company Microsoft and friend of Steve Jobs, said he would miss him “immensely”. He continued: “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.”

Steve Wozniak, who started Apple with Jobs, said: “We’ve lost something we won’t get back. The way I see it, though, the way people love products [that] he put so much into creating means he brought a lot of life to the world.”

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Steve Jobs at this very sad time.


Image: Martin Keene/PA Wire

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