Former CEO and Apple Inc. Co-founder Steve Jobs has died, the company announced Wednesday night. He was 56.

âÄúApple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being,âÄù the company wrote in a statement on its website.

âÄúThose 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.âÄù

Jobs had been fighting pancreatic cancer for almost a decade. Citing his health, he announced Aug. 24 that he was stepping down as CEO.