Although the news wasn’t unexpected, I felt very sad to learn Wednesday afternoon that Steve Jobs died peacefully, after a long illness. According to a statement from Apple’s board of directors: “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.”
As with many geniuses, Jobs was temperamental, apt to scream at someone for messing up, but he was also considered one of the greatest CEOs of our time. I met him several times, and can recall two instances where I spoke with him briefly. That story [1] was written some weeks back, when Jobs stepped down as Apple’s CEO as the result of his deteriorating condition.
You’ll be reading a lot about his life, about Apple, and about the future of the company. I’ll have more to say in the days to come. I realize we all filled with sadness, but we should also celebrate his glorious life and his amazing achievements. That’s the best way to remember Steve Jobs.