Techsurvivors

Archives => 2008 => Topic started by: krissel on June 13, 2008, 03:26:54 AM

Title: Steve's health
Post by: krissel on June 13, 2008, 03:26:54 AM

If you watch Apple stock you noticed the extended drop on Thursday mostly due to rumors about Steve Jobs health. Here is a very honest assessment from an interviewer who spoke with him on camera after the WWDC.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/25096807?__source=R...og*&par=RSS

Title: Steve's health
Post by: sandbox on June 13, 2008, 05:04:53 AM

I'm glad they cleared that up in the end, I picked right up the the virus/antibiotic rather than antivirals.

He does appear very sickly and if a photo adds weight he looks even the worse in person.

From my perspective it's highly unlikely that a man in his condition would deteriorate so dramatically over a common bug. What I see is an extreme weight and muscle loss. This doesn't happen overnight.  

This is most likely a condition rather than a bug. more likely an immune deficiency or digestive issue.

BUG is not a medical term so no answers were given.

Title: Steve's health
Post by: Gregg on June 13, 2008, 07:37:22 AM

Yes, I noticed that he was thinner during the news shot of him. That's not necessarily a bad thing. My doc says, "never too rich, never too thin". He's thin, and rich!

Title: Steve's health
Post by: Paddy on June 13, 2008, 08:50:53 AM

I noticed that Jobs didn't look all that great in the photos from WWDC right away, but I'm not sure that he's actually lost much weight recently - check out this photo from December 2007. If he's had a nasty bacterial infection - particularly if it was something he picked up traveling - he might well appear somewhat less vigorous and some of the antibiotics themselves can also take the stuffing out of you. It's all speculation at this point - and has been pointed out, he/Apple would get in trouble with the SEC if they issued blatantly false info.

Title: Steve's health
Post by: Paddy on June 13, 2008, 08:57:08 PM

More - and probably the best researched potential reason for Steve Jobs' appearance:

http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/...er-the-whipple/

Title: Steve's health
Post by: MamaMoose on June 13, 2008, 09:46:39 PM

The Fortune article was probably correct. My wife who is a retired oncology and oncology research nurse verifies that the  Whipple involves long term changes n the whole digestive process And, many patients take several years to return to a reasonably normal life.

It makes sense that the cancer has not returned since the average life span of  patients with an adenocarcinoma is about 1 year as the article says. It is unlikely that Jobs has a new adenocarcinoma since under the circumstances that docs would been very aggressive with chemo, radiation, and some new experimental drugs.


MamaMoose

Title: Steve's health
Post by: sandbox on June 14, 2008, 01:33:20 AM

Thanks Paddy/Mama that explains it.

Title: Steve's health
Post by: krissel on June 14, 2008, 03:32:50 AM

If you want to read more:

Steve speaks out:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortun...tune/index.html

Fortune article examining his style (and how they kept quiet about his health crisis):

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/02/news/compa...rtune/index.htm

This what bothers me:

QUOTE

The SEC requires that any public company disclose material information to investors so that they can include it in their calculation of whether to buy or sell a stock. But there are no specific guidelines governing health issues, and the SEC has never taken action against a company in this area. It is generally accepted that a company should disclose the diagnosis of a CEO's fatal illness, while it need not say anything about a problem like a broken arm. Everything in between is problematic - and the tension between privacy and shareholder interests is even greater when the CEO is so powerfully identified with the company's fortunes.

I just wish they would be a little more forthcoming so the stock doesn't tumble any more than it has.  

Title: Steve's health
Post by: RHPConsult on June 14, 2008, 05:27:18 PM

Some additional observations/opinions FWTW:

I observed Our Leader from a distance of about 30 feet perform all the appropriate tasks of a Chairman at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Cupertino . . . for probably close to 2 hours. Date: March 4. He appeared trim/slender/vigorous enough for a man of 50+. Importantly, he displayed his usual in-control demeanor. No question who the boss is, however he did have at least 2 other execs with him, on-stage, perched on the trademark stools, throughout.  in 2006 and 07 there was only 1 other exec at a time sharing the small stage. He is not afraid to share the reporting duties, though having some familiarity with Annual Meetings, the reporting is always well rehearsed. Apple's planned and the spontaneous portions, alike, were slick as greased glass.

SPJ handled (est) 90 percent of the shareholder queries . . . with aplomb. and no small measure of wry humor . . . including a serious question about his recovery from surgery and Apple's succession planning (post-Jobs).

(I'm acquainted with his Doc at Stanford - arguably the best in the world w/respect to the pancreas.)

"Material events" in a corporation's management (e.g. changes) are absolutely required to be reported publicly, as has been mentioned here. Death, kidnapping, resignation, termination, leave of absence seem well-understood as material events.  General health remains a gray area, by definition.

I really would doubt that Apple will "toy"  with public information.  However, they, as are other corporations, are somewhat helpless in the face of false or malevolent rumors. (Check the evening news . . . any day!

I believe him when he says they have worked diligently to design and develop a sound succession plan.

Title: Steve's health
Post by: Frances144 on June 15, 2008, 11:52:29 AM

I thought Mac's didn't get viruses!!!

Is it me, or does he look a tad like Mr Burns?

Title: Steve's health
Post by: krissel on June 17, 2008, 02:33:12 AM

Here is Steve's apparent successor.

[attachment=980:appkid.jpg]

Title: Steve's health
Post by: Xairbusdriver on June 17, 2008, 07:31:49 AM

One article I read last week suggested that his condition could be caused by almost any bug since vegetarians are affected more and recover much slower from common 'bugs.' Whether or not the author is mainly carnivorous was not disclosed!

Title: Steve's health
Post by: krissel on June 30, 2008, 04:02:46 AM

Article on the possible successors to his Steveness.

http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/...les-back-bench/

Title: Steve's health
Post by: Gregg on June 30, 2008, 07:11:14 AM

QUOTE(krissel @ Jun 17 2008, 02:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here is Steve's apparent successor.

Only if the "resolution" improves over time. But, that's amazingly close, just a little "pixelated".