• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

Leadership

Goldman’s Lloyd Blankfein is not the only CEO to continue working through a cancer diagnosis

By
Michal Addady
Michal Addady
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Michal Addady
Michal Addady
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 22, 2015, 3:18 PM ET
Squawk Box - Season 20
SQUAWK BOX -- Pictured: Lloyd Blankfein, CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs, on January 7, 2015 -- (Photo by: Adam Jeffery/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)Photograph by Getty Images

Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs (GS), announced Tuesday that he has recently been diagnosed with lymphoma. Blankfein, who said he will continue to work as he receives treatment, is not the first company executive to make that difficult decision. Here are five others.

1. Andy Grove, Intel

Grove worked at Intel (INTC) since its inception in 1968, according to the company’s website. He served as CEO from 1987 to 1998, president from 1979 to 1997, and Chairman of the Board from 1997 to 2005. Grove was diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and wrote an essay about his experience—”Taking on Prostate Cancer“—that was published in Fortune Magazine in May 1996. His doctor informed him that he had a “moderately aggressive” tumor in his prostate, for which he received treatment in the form of hormones, high doses of implant radiation, and external radiation. It was an aggressive treatment that lasted 28 days, during which he continued to work at Intel. A typical day started with a hospital appointment at 7:30 a.m. He would then go straight to work, leaving at 4 p.m. for an hour-long nap, and then complete his workday from home. He was able to beat his disease and continue working at the company. Today, many consider him to be a legend and a role model for how to lead a business.

2. Robert Benmosche, AIG

Benmosche came out of retirement in 2009 to lead the insurance company through the financial crisis, when it received a significant government bailout. In October 2010, less than a year back at the job, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He received aggressive treatment while continuing to work at the company. Under his leadership, AIG was able to fully repay a government bailout by 2012—a task that not many thought could be accomplished. He planned to re-retire at the end of 2014. CNN reported that his plans accelerated when his doctor told him in May 2014 that he only had 9 to 12 months to live. Peter Hancock took over as CEO on Sept. 1, and Benmosche stayed on in a consulting role. He passed away on Feb. 27, 2015.

3. Steve Jobs, Apple

Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, which has only a 20% survival rate through the first year. He was always very vague about his health since the time he learned about his diagnosis and didn’t reveal it publicly until after his first surgery in 2004, according to ABC News. Jobs wrote an email to Apple (AAPL) employees saying that the surgery was successful. His health became a topic of discussion in 2006, and then again in 2008 when people began to notice that Jobs was getting very thin. The New York Times reported that it was not life-threatening, and not a cancer relapse, but was “more than a ‘common bug.” Jobs took a medical leave from the company in 2009 to receive a liver transplant, and then returned to work after recovering from his surgery. He took another medical leave in January 2011, and supposedly went to Switzerland to receive treatment that was not approved in the U.S. He remained on as CEO during that time and was involved in all major strategic decisions that were made at the company. In August 2011, he sent another email to the company saying that was stepping down because his health has made it impossible for him to meet expectations as CEO. He died just a few months later on Oct. 5.

4. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway

Buffett was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April 2012, and was lucky enough to have caught it early. His first week following his diagnosis was business as usual. He and his doctors decided on radiation treatment. Many were surprised by this course of action. Reuters spoke to various experts on the subject who said that active surveillance, otherwise known as “watchful waiting,” is just as viable an option when the disease is still at Stage I, especially for an 81-year-old. Buffett wrote a letter to shareholders to inform them of his situation and let them know that he would be starting a two-month treatment in mid-July of that same year, and ensured them that he would let them know if there was any change. The New York Times reported that his treatments ended the following September. According to the Washington Post, there was no significant change in Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKA) stock price during this time, suggesting that investors were not worried that his condition would affect how the company is run.

5. Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan

Dimon announced in July 2014 that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. He added that it was treatable and that he would remain at the company as CEO, a decision of which the board said it was “totally supportive.” He has been CEO of JP Morgan (JPM) since 2005 and chairman since 2006, and was one of the few CEOs to keep his job following the financial crisis. Investors feared his leadership would be compromised, and shares in the company fell immediately after his announcement. He told the Wall Street Journal: “I took naps when I had to, went home early, and there were days when I was in treatment all day long.” His treatment lasted 8 weeks, and he would typically go into work after his morning appointments. Just five months after he announced his diagnosis, he was able to announce that he was cancer-free. Shares in the company immediately went up and he went back to working full time.

About the Author
By Michal Addady
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

haidt
AIGen Z
A record number of 18-year-olds are set to graduate into an economy designed against them
By Nick LichtenbergMay 18, 2026
1 hour ago
A panel on Gen Z workers sit alongside Fortune's Kristin Stoller at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit.
NewslettersFortune Workplace Innovation
AI in the workplace is stumbling. Fortune’s Workplace Innovation Summit will dive in to why
By Kristin StollerMay 18, 2026
2 hours ago
Trump’s leadership model has a succession problem
C-SuiteNext to Lead
Trump’s leadership model has a succession problem
By Ruth UmohMay 18, 2026
4 hours ago
Inside Trump’s vision of America as a shareholder in U.S. companies: ‘I should have asked for more’
NewslettersCEO Daily
Inside Trump’s vision of America as a shareholder in U.S. companies: ‘I should have asked for more’
By Diane BradyMay 18, 2026
5 hours ago
How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
AIAutomation
How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
6 hours ago
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
AIAI agents
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
21 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
6 days ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
Gen X is the most indebted generation in America. Their employers can fix that
Commentary
Gen X is the most indebted generation in America. Their employers can fix that
By Mary MorelandMay 17, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.