President Barack Obama was among the many people who paid tribute to Steve Jobs, calling the Apple co-founder a visionary and great American innovator.

"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 of Jobs, who died on Wednesday.

"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."

The president was joined by political, technology, entertainment and business leaders around the world in paying tribute to Jobs. A selection:

BILL GATES, MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN

"Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. 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. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor."

STEPHEN ELOP, NOKIA CEO

"The world lost a true visionary today. Steve's passion for simplicity and elegance leaves us all a legacy that will endure for generations. Today, my thoughts, and those of everyone at Nokia, are with the friends and family that he leaves behind."

FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY ON FACEBOOK

"His capacity to revolutionize entire sectors of the economy by the power of imagination and technology is a source of inspiration for millions of engineers and entrepreneurs across the world. His efforts to render new technologies more attractive and simple to use have made a success of businesses that have changed the world of computing, the distribution of cultural content, telecommunications and even animated cinema."

RUPERT MURDOCH, CEO OF NEWS CORP

"Today, we lost one of the most influential thinkers, creators and entrepreneurs of all time. Steve Jobs was simply the greatest CEO of his generation."

MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK FOUNDER AND CEO, ON FACEBOOK

"Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."

AMAZON CEO JEFF BEZOS

"Steve was a teacher to anyone paying attention, and today is a very sad day for everyone who cares about innovation and high standards."

SONY CEO HOWARD STRINGER

"The digital age has lost its leading light, but Steve's innovation and creativity will inspire dreamers and thinkers for generations."

ALCATEL-LUCENT CEO BEN VERWAAYEN

"Steve Jobs was a man who demonstrated that vision and passion can create global change."

CISCO SYSTEMS CEO JOHN CHAMBERS

"The world lost a true visionary and great man today. Steve Jobs did more than simply shape our concepts of technology and invention, he helped define our understanding of how great innovation and design can bring people closer together."

AT&T CHAIRMAN AND CEO RANDALL STEPHENSON

"Steve was an iconic inventor, visionary, and entrepreneur, and we had the privilege to know him as partner and friend."

INTEL CEO PAUL OTELLINI

"True genius is measured by the ability to touch every person on the planet. Steve did that, not just once, but many, many times over his amazing life."

BOB IGER, CEO OF WALT DISNEY CO

"Steve was such an original, with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started."

MASAYOSHI SON, FOUNDER OF SOFTBANK, JAPAN'S NO.3 MOBILE

PHONE SERVICE OPERATOR

"Steve was truly a genius of our time, a man with a rare ability to fuse art and technology. In centuries from now, he will be remembered alongside Leonardo da Vinci."

MARK CUBAN, ENTREPRENEUR, ON TWITTER

"The PC era is officially over. #RIP #STEVEJOBS

INVESTOR MARC ANDREESSEN

"Steve was the best of the best. Like Mozart and Picasso, he may never be equaled."

MICHAEL DELL, CEO OF DELL INC

"Today the world lost a visionary leader, the technology industry lost an iconic legend and I lost a friend and fellow founder. The legacy of Steve Jobs will be remembered for generations to come."

LARRY PAGE, CEO OF GOOGLE, ON GOOGLE

"He always seemed to be able to say in very few words what you actually should have been thinking before you thought it. His focus on the user experience above all else has always been an inspiration to me."

JEFF BEWKES, CEO OF TIME WARNER

"The world is a better place because of Steve, and the stories our company tells have been made richer by the products he created."

DICK COSTOLO, CEO OF TWITTER, ON TWITTER

"Once in a rare while, somebody comes along who doesn't just raise the bar, they create an entirely new standard of measurement. #RIPSteveJobs"

ARTHUR SULZBERGER, CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW YORK TIMES CO

"Steve Jobs was a visionary and a wonderful friend of The New York Times. He pushed the boundaries of how all providers of news and information interact with our users."

JOHN LASSETER AND ED CATMULL, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT, WALT DISNEY and PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS

"Steve ... saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar's DNA."

(Singapore Newsroom; 65 6870 3082)