"Wish Steve Could See": Tim Cook's Staff Memo To Apple Employees

On the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs's death, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told employees that the visionary co-founder would be eager to see what the company develops next.

The comments in the internal memo, obtained by Bloomberg News, came alongside other efforts from the company Tuesday to commemorate the anniversary. Apple replaced its homepage with a tribute to Jobs and published a letter from Jobs's family. Cook also posted a video of Jobs on his Twitter account.

Cook's full email to staff is here:

Team,

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Steve's passing. It's a moment to celebrate his life and to reflect on the extraordinary legacy he left behind.

Steve believed that "people with passion can change the world for the better." That's the philosophy that inspired him to create Apple. And it lives in us today.

Steve was so many things: brilliant, funny, and wise, a husband, a father, a friend, and, of course, a visionary. He challenged us to see the world not for what it was, but for what it could be. And he helped so many people, myself included, see the same potential in ourselves. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him.

This year, as much as any other, we're reminded of the profound impact our products have on the world. I feel so lucky that we spend our days creating wildly innovative tools that connect people, inspire them to think differently, and empower them to make their own dent in the universe, too. It's one of the many gifts that Steve gave to all of us.

I wish Steve were here to see the way his spirit lives on in all of your amazing work. But most of all, I wish he could see what you do next. Steve once said that his proudest achievements were the ones that were yet to come. He spent every day imagining a future that no one else could see and working relentlessly to bring his vision to life.

Steve was a singular figure, but he taught us all how to soar. I miss him, and I will cherish him always.

Tim

“People with passion can change the world for the better.”— SJ. Hard to believe it's been 10 years. Celebrating you today and always. pic.twitter.com/x2IUnlO7ta

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 5, 2021

Jobs died in October 2011 at the age of 56, two months after stepping down as CEO and appointing Cook as his replacement.

Cook, now 60, could remain in his current role until at least 2026 based on share payouts and other factors, and the company's management includes a variety of potential successors