World leaders have paid tribute to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who has died at 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to Steve Jobs: "Steve Jobs was unlike any other," according to a note released by his spokesperson. "He saw what others did not. He believed above all else in the power of human ingenuity - to create 'tools' that people could use, that would not only improve our lives but, quite literally, change the world. He was truly global force."

U.S. President Barack Obama mourned Steve Jobs, 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."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Thursday expressed his condolence on the passing of Steve Job through the Kremlin's official Twitter account. "People like Steve Jobs have changed our world. I send my sincere condolence to his relatives and all who cherished his intellect and talent."?

"Steve Jobs transformed the way we work and play; a creative genius who will be sorely missed," said British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Steve is a "great entrepreneur, innovator and a major force in the digital revolution we are living through," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a statement on his facebook page. "His talent for revolutionizing entire economic sectors by the power of imagination and technology is an inspiration for millions of engineers and entrepreneurs around the world," Sarkozy added.

Expressing an acute pain, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon called the co-founder of Apple a "visionary innovator" and "legendary entrepreneur" in his blog. He "has contributed more than any other for the coming and the constant renewal of the information society," Fillon added. "His humanism, creativity, the fall and re-creation of Apple along with his many accomplishments, are a constant source of inspiration for thousands of entrepreneurs in France and around the world," he said.

His legacy "will be not just his products and business achievements, but also the way in which he altered mindsets in the business world and in everyday life," said Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.