Steve Jobs sent ominous email to himself a year before his death and one detail has fuelled a major debate

In September 2010, a year prior to dying of pancreatic cancer, Steve Jobs sent himself a somewhat unnerving email that still sparks online debate to this day.

For those in need of a reminder, Jobs made history by founding Apple - one of the biggest and most successful tech firms in the world - alongside close pals Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976.

Whilst the latter sold his shares in the firm that same year for $800, seemingly unaware of Apple's potential, Jobs and Wozniak continued forging a company that, today, is worth well over $3 trillion.

As well as his business acumen, however, towards the latter years of life, the San Francisco ex-CEO also took an interest in poetry, as evidence by an unusual email he sent to himself 15 years ago.

Jobs was first diagnosed with cancer in 2003 (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The online message had been sent seven years after Jobs was first diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer known as a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour, the prognosis of which is still considered to be rather poor.

Though he later underwent several treatments - including a change in diet, surgery to remove the tumour, and a liver transplant - he was never fully able to shake off the disease.

In his September 2010 email, Jobs wrote a poem, which reads: "I grow little of the food I eat, and of the little I do grow, I did not breed or perfect the seeds. I do not make any of my own clothing.

"I speak a language I did not invent or refine. I did not discover the mathematics I use. I am protected by freedoms and laws I did not conceive

of or legislate, and do not enforce or adjudicate.

"I am moved by music I did not create myself. When I needed medical attention, I was helpless to help myself survive.

Jobs wrote an email to himself a year prior to his death (Reddit)

"I did not invent the transistor, the microprocessor, object oriented programming, or most of the technology I work with.

"I love and admire my species, living and dead, and am totally dependent on them for my life and well being."

Numerous literature experts, as well as those who knew Jobs best, have since attempted to analyse the poem, with the majority seemingly agreeing that the entrepreneur is suggesting that greater minds than himself have established much more fundamental aspects of society, like medicine, language, health treatment and logic.

As we say, however, there's one specific aspect of Jobs' email that has kept tongues wagging ever since first being shared - the fact it ends with the note, 'Sent from my iPad'.

For reference, iPads first hit the shelves the very same year as the CEO's passing, with some Reddit users believing his poem's final note serves as a reminder of everything he contributed personally to the tech industry.

iPads were released the year of Jobs' death (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"Thought that was interesting too after everything else," one fan recently wrote on the discussion forum.

Another agreed, adding: "I think it’s part of the poem. Sharing the above sentiments regarding appreciation of human race accomplishments via a piece of technology that culminates so much human effort from such a wide range of fields."

"And that’s also his creation, it’s his small commentary on his contribution to the world," a third went on.

One also continued: "The word 'my' takes on more weight than usual here, it's interesting."