Flags at Apple’s Campus in Cupertino, California

Following Steve’s passing early today, family, friends and members of the tech community are sharing their thoughts about Steve. I will collect them on this post:

Steve Jobs’ family issued a statement:

Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. 

In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories. 

We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief.

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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.

– Apple Board of Directors

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. 

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply emailrememberingsteve@apple.com. 

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much. 

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

– Apple CEO Tim Cook

– Steve Wozniak

“I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work. Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.  For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”

– Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates

Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.

By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world. 

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.

– President Barack Obama

“Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an “original,” with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Laurene and his children during this difficult time.”

– Disney President Bob Iger

Google’s Homepage

“Steve Jobs is the most successful CEO in the U.S. of the last 25 years. He uniquely combined an artists touch and an engineers vision to build an extraordinary company… one of the greatest American leaders in history.”

– Google Chairman Eric Schmidt

“Steve Jobs was a great California innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish. Few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives. Anne and I wish to express our deepest sympathy to Steve’s wife, Laurene, and their entire family.”

– California Governor Edmund Brown

Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the Apple team.

– Michael Dell

Steve lived the California Dream every day of his life and he changed the world and inspired all of us.

– Arnold Schwarzenegger

It’s the ultimate sadness. First of all, it’s a young person who was revered, sometimes feared, but always revered. In a way, it’s kind of prophetic; everyone was hoping he could be on stage yesterday. He was a very special person, and he didn’t get to where he was by having people like him all the time. He got to where he was because he had a vision and a purpose. It’s easy to try and please everyone, but he kept to his principles.

– Carol Bartz

Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.

– Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg

I am very, very sad to hear the news about Steve. He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance. He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me. He was very kind to reach out to me as I became CEO of Google and spend time offering his advice and knowledge even though he was not at all well. My thoughts and Google’s are with his family and the whole Apple family

– Google Cofounder Larry Page

Tonight, America lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison and Einstein, and whose ideas will shape the world for generations to come. Again and again over the last four decades, Steve Jobs saw the future and brought it to life long before most people could even see the horizon. And Steve’s passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and iPads: it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization. In New York City’s government, everyone from street construction inspectors to NYPD detectives have harnessed Apple’s products to do their jobs more efficiently and intuitively. Tonight our City – a city that has always had such respect and admiration for creative genius – joins with people around the planet in remembering a great man and keeping Laurene and the rest of the Jobs family in our thoughts and prayers.

– NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

He was one of the most remarkable business managers and innovators in american business history.

– Warren Buffett

Steve Jobs was a visionary and a wonderful friend of The New York Times. He pushed the boundaries of how all providers of news and information interact with our users. I am among the many who deeply regret his passing.

– New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.

We are saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was an iconic inventor, visionary, and entrepreneur, and we had the privilege to know him as partner and friend. All of us at AT&T offer our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife, family, and his Apple family.

– AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson

Steve Jobs was a visionary who changed the way we live, an innovator whose products brought joy to millions, a risktaker who wasn’t afraid to challenge the status quo, and an entrepreneur who led one of the most creative companies of our time. 

His sage advice was respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle. His courageous fight against cancer brought strength to many. I hope it is a comfort to those who loved him, especially his family, that so many grieve his loss and are praying for them at this sad time.

– House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Today, we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time. Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation. While I am deeply saddened by his passing, I’m reminded of the stunning impact he had in revolutionizing the way people consume media and entertainment. My heart goes out to his family and to everyone who had the opportunity to work beside him in bringing his many visions to life.

– News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch

“Steve Jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond Silicon Valley. He will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world.”

– Meg Whitman, CEO of HP

“It was an honor to have worked with Steve Jobs. He will forever remain an inspiration. He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

– YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen

From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met. 

On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple.

– Google Cofounder Sergey Brin

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was truly a genius of our time, a man with a rare ability to fuse art and technology. In centuries from now, he will be remembered alongside Leonardo da Vinci. His achievements will continue to shine forever.

– Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son

Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply ‘make it great.’ He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar’s DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.

– John Lasseter, Pixar and Ed Catmull, Disney

The magic of Steve was that while others simply accepted the status quo, he saw the true potential in everything he touched and never compromised on that vision. He leaves behind an incredible family and a legacy that will continue to speak to people for years to come.

– George Lucas

“Steve Jobs transformed the way we work and play; a creative genius who will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family”

– British Prime Minister David Cameron

“As inspired as he was inspiring, Steve Jobs will remain one of the great figures of our time”

– French President Nicolas Sarkozy

“People like Steve Jobs change our world. My sincere condolences to his relatives and all those who appreciated his intelligence and talent.”

– Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

“As a competitor, he helped ensure all of us pushed even harder. I am confident his legacy will continue to energize the industry for many years to come.”

– Yang Yuanqing, the CEO of  Lenovo

“Steve’s spirit will live on forever with those who, like me, had the honor to know and work with him. However, everyone has been touched by his genius and, because of this, he has left the world a better place. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

– Terry Gou, founder and chairman of Foxconn Technology Group

“His passing is a loss to innovators and visionaries everywhere, even here in Korea, and the culture he fostered will be a benchmark for decades to come.” 

– Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics

“I want to express my deepest condolences at the passing of Steve Jobs, one of the founders of our industry and a true visionary. My heart goes out to his family, everyone at Apple and everyone who has been touched by his work.”

– Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

“Chairman Steve Jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur,” said. “His innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world.”

– Samsung Executive G.S. Choi

Walt Massberg has written a nice article about Steve called “The Steve Jobs I Knew.”