Apple have confirmed Steve Jobs will step down as chief-executive until June due to health reasons.
In an email to colleagues he explained his health issues were more complex than first realised.
His leave of absence was "in order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products", he explained.
Last week Mr Jobs announced he was being treated for a hormone imbalance.
Chief operating officer Tim Cook will now take over the day-to-day running of Apple, although Mr Jobs said as CEO he would remain involved in all major strategic decisions.
The 53-year-old founder of Apple underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2004 and subsequent hormone imbalance has been suggested as the cause of his significant weight loss since.
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