Jony Ive, who was vital in Apple’s 1990s resurgence in becoming the world’s first $1trillion company, is set to begin his own independent design business. He will leave the iPhone maker later this year. Mr Ive was at Apple for nearly three decades.
He played a leading role in the design of the candy-coloured iMacs, which allowed Apple to come back from near extinction in the 90s.
That led to the iPhone becoming what many experts claim is one of the most successful products of all time.
As a result of Mr Ive’s planned departure, Apple’s shares fell by 1.5 percent.
The outcome meant Apple lost nearly $9billion of its business value.
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Tributes poured in for Mr Ive.
Ben Bajarin, analyst with Creative Strategies, said: “It’s the most significant departure of somebody who was a core part of the growth story.”
Mr Ive joined Apple in 1992 and led Apple’s design teams since 1996.
He took up his current role as chief design officer in 2015.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said: “Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated, from 1998’s groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care.”
Apple said it will be among the primary clients of Ive’s new design company for a range of projects.
Mr Ive added: “I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
His new company will be called LoveFrom, the Financial Times reports, and will be based in California.