U.S. President Barack Obama mourned Apple co-founder and longtime CEO Steve Jobs, who died from pancreatic cancer on Wednesday, saying he is one of the greatest U.S. innovators.

"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," Obama said in a statement.

"By building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity," he said.

"By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun."

The president said Jobs "transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world."

"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented," Obama said.

Jobs took a medical leave of absence earlier this year, the third in his battle with pancreatic cancer that began in 2004. On Aug. 24, he stepped down as Apple CEO.

In a career that spans four decades, Jobs has revolutionized computers, animated movies and the music industry, turning his personality into a business philosophy which is praised and worshiped by fans, entrepreneurs and political figures around the world.

Under the leadership of Jobs, Apple returned to glory and withstood the Internet bubble at the beginning of the century as well as the financial meltdown in recent years with its extremely popular consumer electronic products like iPod, iPhone and iPad by emphasizing design and aesthetics play.

In August, Apple temporarily surpassed Exxon Mobil to become the world's most valuable company.