Apple CEO Steve Jobs says he will take a medical leave until the end of
June, shocking investors and sending the company's shares down as much as 10
percent.

NBC -
Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs will take a medical leave of
absence until the end of June because his health problems are "more
complex" than he had thought, shocking investors and sending the
company's shares down as much as 10 percent on Wednesday (January 14).

Jobs, a pancreatic cancer survivor, made his bombshell announcement
only nine days after he sought to soothe persistent concerns about his health
by saying his marked weight loss over past months was due to a hormone
imbalance that was relatively simple to treat.

Jobs said he planned to remain involved in major strategic decisions
while he is away. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook will take responsibility
for day-to-day operations in Jobs' absence.

An Apple spokesman declined to elaborate on Jobs' health on Wednesday.

Speculation about his health resurfaced in June 2008, when Jobs
appeared markedly thinner at an Apple event. He is seen as the driver of
Apple's successful, consumer-friendly products, including Macintosh computers,
iPod media players and iPhones.

Jobs' health complicates what is expected to be a
less-than-scintillating year for Apple and the consumer electronics industry,
as a severe global economic downturn saps consumers' spending appetite.
Some analysts fear that without a big product launch -- such as last
year's 3G iPhone -- Apple will lack a share catalyst in 2009.

Apple's stock fell as much as 10 percent following Jobs' announcement,
before trading at 79.64 U.S. dollars after hours. The stock had closed down
2.71 percent at 85.33 U.S. dollars in regular Nasdaq trading.