Father of iPod, iPhone leaves Apple

After nine years with Apple, Tony Fadell, who helped envision and create the iPod and iPhone, has formally left the company. He will now be an all-around adviser to tech companies around the world.

Fadell was the first man to sign on to iPod’s engineering team in 2001. 5 years later, he became the head of the iPod division and was a key figure in developing the iPhone.

Fadell decided to step down from his executive position at Apple in 2008. At the time, he said he wanted to remain as an adviser to Steve Jobs and provide work in a freelance capacity exclusively to Apple.

However, today’s move, which was first reported by the New York Times, severs all ties to the company he helped bloom into what it is today.

Apparently Fadell is big into green technology now and wants to focus his career at this point to that focus.

“My primary focus will be helping the environment by working with consumer green-tech companies,” he said to the New York Times. “I’m determined to tell my kids and grandkids amazing stories beyond my iPod and iPhone ones.”