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Happy Birthday Steve Jobs: Business Leaders Reflect On Ex-Apple CEO

Happy Birthday Steve Jobs
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FILE - This Sept. 9, 2009 file photo shows Apple CEO Steve Jobs at an Apple event in San Francisco. The 18th edition of "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations," has just been released, the first for the electronic age and a chance to take in some of the new faces, events and catchphrases of the past 10 years. General editor Geoffrey O'Brien says he has expanded upon the trend set by his predecessor, Justin Kaplan, of incorporating popular culture into an anthology once known for classical citations. Shakespeare and the Bible still reign, but room also has been made for Steve Jobs, Madonna and Michael Moore, Justin Timberlake and Jon Stewart. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)

If ex-Apple CEO Steve Jobs were still alive, he would be 58 today. Following his death in 2011 from cancer at age 56, major CEOs rushed to praise Jobs as one of the most "remarkable," "iconic" and "influential" business leaders of our time.

In honor of Jobs' birthday we're sharing some of what they had to say about him at the time of his death below:

Business Leaders Reflect On Steve Jobs
Disney President Bob Iger(01 of09)
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"Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started" (credit:Getty)
Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett(02 of09)
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"He was one of the most remarkable business managers and innovators in American business history." (credit:Getty)
Microsoft's Bill Gates(03 of09)
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"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" (credit:Getty)
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg(04 of09)
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"Steve's passionate belief in the power of technology to transform the way we live brought us more than smart phones and iPads: it brought knowledge and power that is reshaping the face of civilization" (credit:Getty)
News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch(05 of09)
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"We lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time." (credit:Getty)
Recording Industry Assn. Of America's Cary Sherman(06 of09)
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"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." (credit:Getty)
Hewlett-Packard's Meg Whitman(07 of09)
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"Steve Jobs was an iconic entrepreneur and businessman whose impact on technology was felt beyond Silicon Valley. He will be remembered for the innovation he brought to market and the inspiration he brought to the world." (credit:Getty)
Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes(08 of09)
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"In a society that has seen incredible technological innovation during our lifetimes, Steve may be the one true icon whose legacy will be remembered for a thousand years." (credit:Getty)
Google CEO Eric Schmidt(09 of09)
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"Steve defined a generation of style and technology that's unlikely to be matched again." (credit:Getty)

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