This isn't surprising considering that Jobs took a five-month leave of absence in January to deal with his health issues, and hasn't appeared in public since last October. Apple COO Tim Cook is running day-to-day operations at Apple on an interim basis, and at Wednesday's shareholder meeting, he'll no doubt be peppered with requests for updates on Jobs' condition.
Jobs' health issues have ignited fierce debate within the financial community. Many Apple investors believe the company has downplayed the severity of Jobs' health issues, and some have called for a government review of Apple's disclosure practices.
In a Jan. 5 letter to the Apple community, Jobs revealed that he was being treated for a hormone imbalance that had been causing him to lose weight, but said doctors had pinpointed its cause and were in the process of addressing it. But in a Jan. 14 e-mail to Apple employees, Jobs said he'd be taking a leave of absence because his health problems were more complex than he'd originally thought.
"As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out," Jobs told employees in the e-mail. "Our board of directors fully supports this plan."
Bloomberg has documented the minutiae of Jobs' health issues with dogged determination since the latest wave of rumors started swirling last June.
In August, Bloomberg accidentally published an obituary for Jobs, who in a subsequent public appearance assured the audience that, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."
But in a Jan. 16 telephone interview in which Bloomberg asked Jobs to comment on his health issues, the Apple CEO was less jovial. "Why don't you guys leave me alone -- why is this important?" Jobs asked Bloomberg in the interview.
| • |
| • |
| • |
| • |
| • |
| • |
| • |
|
|
