News : Investors tremble on Jobs' health

Apple says its chief and technical visionary, Steve Jobs, will take a leave of absence until the end of June due to health problems.

The statement backtracks on reassurances and sent shivers through investors who fear a change at the top.

Apple's shares tumbled after the bombshell announcement.

Nine days earlier, the pancreatic cancer survivor downplayed investor concerns about his dramatic weight loss in recent months, saying it was caused by an easily treatable hormone imbalance.

Many fear Jobs' departure will deprive the company of its most vital and imaginative resource.

Apple's product innovations have often laid the blueprint for its competitors to follow.