Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of US technology giant Apple, has died at the age of 56. Mr Jobs had announced he was suffering from cancer in 2004. Apple said he had been "the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives" and had made the world "immeasurably better". Tributes  have been made by technology company bosses and world leaders, with US President Barack Obama saying the world had "lost a visionary ". "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," said Mr Obama. A statement from Mr Jobs's family said they were with him when he died peacefully on Wednesday. "In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he loved his family deeply," they said, requesting privacy and thanking those who had "shared their wishes and prayers" during his final year. Apple said the company had "lost a visionary and creative genius  and the world have lost an amazing human being". Tim Cook, who was made Apple's CEO after Mr Jobs stood down in August, said his predecessor had left behind "a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple". Flags are being flown at half mast outside the Apple headquarters  in Cupertino, California, while fans of the company have left tributes outside Apple shops around the world. The heads of other leading technology companies have also paid tribute, including Microsoft boss Bill Gates, who said "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been a great honour. I will miss Steve very much." Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thanks Mr Jobs for "showing that what you build can change the world" while Sony Corp president and CEO Howard Stringer said: "The digital age has lost its leading light." South Korea's Samsung, which is involved in a case with Apple over patents , admired Mr Jobs for his "Completely new and different changes to the IT industry". Who became Apple's CEO after Mr Jobs?
Tim Cook Howard Stringer Mark Zuckerberg Barack Obama