Steve Jobs, adulated gadget hero, was feeling underappreciated not too long ago. Steve Jobs, the man rolling out iPods, iPhones and cool computers to millions of adoring customers, once felt he wasn’t getting enough respect–from his own board of directors. That, at least, was what he told the Securities & Exchange Commission while explaining his actions in the Apple option-backdating scandal that broke in 2006. The scandal, which was part of what caused Apple then to take an $84 million earnings writedown, raised questions about whether Jobs had helped set advantageous grant dates for options for himself and other executives.
The famously private, secretive Jobs, 54, who was treated in 2004 for pancreatic cancer, has been out since January on a medical leave originally attributed to a hormone imbalance. Questions about his health and ability to return full-time–in June, Apple ( AAPL – news – people ) says–occasion much Silicon Valley gossip, especially among investors who consider him the main reason for the company’s 1,000% stock rise since 2001. – from Forbes
Excellent journalistic work on Barrett’s part. But here’s the question: How did Forbes know precisely which document to ask for? It always helps to have well-connected sources. And it’s hard to imagine who would be better placed to know the details of the case than Anderson. – from ValleyWag
