Pixar has paid tribute to Steve Jobs, who passed away on Wednesday (October 5) at the age of 56.

Apple co-founder Jobs acquired the animation studio from George Lucas‘s Lucasfilm in 1986. Pixar’s first movie, Toy Story, was released in 1995 with Jobs serving as executive producer. The firm has since gone on to generate more than $7 billion at the worldwide box office and win 26 Academy Awards.

Pixar’s 2006 sale to The Walt Disney Company in 2006, for a staggering $7.4 billion, made Jobs the largest Disney shareholder.

Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs and John Lasseter

Disney and Pixar Animation Studios chief creative office John Lasseter and president Ed Catmull released a statement through Facebook praising the “extraordinary visionary” Jobs.

“Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family,” the statement reads.

“He 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. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.”