Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, News of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' death is sending shock waves through Silicon Valley and beyond. Below, statements from key figures in his life and industry: Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates: "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."

California Gov. Jerry Brown: "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."

Netscape co-founder and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen: "Steve's work made the world a better place for hundreds of millions of people."

Bob Iger, chief executive of Walt Disney Co., where Jobs sat on the board of directors since 2006 and previously worked as Pixar’s chief executive: "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."

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: "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 smartphones 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."

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive of Facebook: "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."

Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, reached at dinner with his son, said he was so overwhelmed by calls from the media that he could not get in touch with his emotions. Then he said: "People sometimes have goals in life. Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he ever set for himself."


Larry Page, Google co-founder: "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."

Jerry Yang, Yahoo co-founder: "Steve was my hero growing up. He not only gave me a lot of personal advice and encouragement, he showed all of us how innovation can change lives. I will miss him dearly, as will the world."

Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Assn. of America: "Like all music fans, we are saddened to hear of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was a larger-than-life personality -- passionate about music and one of its biggest fans and advocates. He was a true visionary who forever transformed how fans access and enjoy music. With the introduction of the iTunes software and other platforms, Steve and Apple made it once again easy and accepted to pay for music. His legacy will live on, long past his all-too-short time on earth."

Sen. Barbara Boxer: "I send my deepest condolences to Steve Jobs' family and friends on this devastating loss. Steve Jobs was a California icon who embodied Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial spirit of creativity and optimism. By revolutionizing communications, he touched the lives of billions of people around the world. He will be sorely missed."

Source: latimes