Apple's iconic chief executive Steve Jobs, whose health has been the subject of rampant speculation, announced today that he was being treated for a 'hormone imbalance' but would remain head of the company.
Jobs, 53, in a letter to the 'Apple Community,' noted that his decision not to give the keynote address at the annual Macworld convention opening in San Francisco tomorrow had set off a 'flurry of rumours about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.'
'I've decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow,' said Jobs, co-founder of the US company behind the Macintosh computer, iPhone and iPod.
'As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008,' he said. 'My doctors think they have found the cause - a hormone imbalance that has been robbing me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I've already begun treatment,' Jobs said.
'I will continue as Apple's CEO during my recovery,' he added. Jobs was operated on for pancreatic cancer in 2004.
Following the announcement about Jobs's health, Apple's share price jumped by 3.5%in pre-market trading.
Speculation about Jobs's health had been rampant since it was announced last month that for the first time in 11 years he would not be giving the keynote speech at Macworld, the annual cult-like gathering of Apple devotees.
Marketing vice president Phil Schiller is to give the keynote at Macworld, which runs from January 6-9 and features more than 450 companies promoting gadgets, gear, software or services tailored for Apple products.
Born in San Francisco in 1955, Jobs founded Apple with engineer Steve Wozniak after dropping out of college. He left the company in 1985 after an internal power struggle but returned in 1996, and is credited with reversing Apple's fortunes by launching the iPod MP3 player and the iPhone.
Under Jobs, Apple has also made its Macintosh computers more compatible with Windows-based PC programmes and boosted its share of a market long ruled by machines based on Microsoft software.
