Dear Colleagues:

After a courageous fight, Steve Jobs has lost his long battle against cancer.  It’s almost incomprehensible that such a force of nature could ever be subdued, much less stilled.  With his passing the world has lost a rare original, Disney has lost a member of our family, and I have lost a great friend.

An incomparable innovator, Steve influenced two separate centuries and forever changed what we believe is possible.  Inspired and inspiring, he worked tirelessly to surprise and delight people – launching entire industries built from his imagination and his ability to make us all want to come along for the ride.  I know we are all proud that  he was part of our Disney family, honored that he entrusted the creative brilliance of Pixar to our keeping, and grateful for his support, advice and friendship.

Steve once shared his views on life with college graduates in a commencement address that, true to his style, set a new standard.  He said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

That’s how Steve lived,  who he was, and how I will always remember him.

Our thoughts and prayers  are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.

Bob

One of the best tributes we’ve seen. As we noted on Twitter earlier, the seeming glut of people making statements on Steve Jobs’ death only tells us one thing: He touched many millions of lives.