IT Leadership

Steve Jobs Reportedly Had Liver Transplant

Steve Jobs, who went on medical leave in January because of an undisclosed medical condition, had a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124546193182433491.html">liver transplant</a> in Tennessee two months ago, according to a report in the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>. He's on the mend and will be back at work at the end of this month -- which is to say, within 10 days.

Mitch Wagner, California Bureau Chief, Light Reading

June 20, 2009

4 Min Read

Steve Jobs, who went on medical leave in January because of an undisclosed medical condition, had a liver transplant in Tennessee two months ago, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. He's on the mend and will be back at work at the end of this month -- which is to say, within 10 days.

When he does return, Mr. Jobs may be encouraged by his physicians to initially "work part-time for a month or two," a person familiar with the thinking at Apple said. That may lead Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, to take "a more encompassing role," this person said. The person added that Mr. Cook may be appointed to Apple's board in the not-too-distant future.

Jobs was treated for pancreatic cancer in 2004. Last year, he began losing weight drastically, and his gaunt appearance sent rumors churning that the cancer might have returned. Apple abruptly announced that Jobs would go on medical leave of absence in January, to treat an undisclosed condition which was causing his body to be unable to absorb nutrients. The company said he would return in late June, and since then has been participating in strategic decisions at Apple, according to reports.

Some people criticized Apple for its failure to disclose information about Jobs's health.

In this case, it is unclear whether the surgery is material because Mr. Jobs was already on leave. Material information like that must be disclosed only "if you are asking shareholders to make a decision based on [that] information," said John Olson, a senior partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington. "You can't expect the company to give a blow-by-blow account of Steve Jobs's health."
But once Mr. Jobs resumes work, the company will have to be "very careful" about what it says "about his health and his prognosis," Mr. Olson said.

At least some Apple directors were aware of Job's surgery. As part of the agreement made when Jobs went on leave of absence, some board members have been briefed weekly about Jobs's condition by his doctor. The Apple board includes Google's Eric Schmidt, and former US VP Al Gore.

The Journal quotes a medical expert saying that the type of pancreatic cancer Jobs had often metastasizes to the liver. Liver transplants are controversial treatments for the condition because livers are scarce, and the treatment's effectiveness is unproven.

Why Tennessee? There is no residency requirement for organ transplants, and Tennessee has a shorter waiting list, the Journal reported.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber notes that Barron's reported in April that Jobs might be moving to Memphis

What's the source of this story? Gruber says the Journal story appears to have been leaked by Apple itself.

Apple is master of the art of minimalist PR. Other companies have battalions of PR people who strafe journalists and PR people with machine-gun fusillades of press releases, phone calls, e-mails, and the occasional Twitter message. But Apple is aloof, doling out information and interviews with an eyedropper.

The disclosure of this medical information certainly fits Apple's style. The story is unattributed, "not even an 'according to sources close to the matter,'" Gruber notes. "But yet they state it flatly as certain fact. That's highly unusual. And whoever their source, they didn't give the WSJ any publishable information regarding why Jobs needed a new liver - that part of the article is pure speculation. My guess is that the source is rock solid but gave the information only on the condition of complete unsourced anonymity."

And the timing is perfect for Apple, midnight Friday, the day of the successful launch of the iPhone 3G, and with the full weekend for investors to digest the information before the stock market opens Monday.

On the other hand, "the complete and utter lack of sourcing makes me wonder if the leak came from someone legally obligated not to reveal Jobs's private medical information," says Gruber. That's a good point as well -- most companies wanting to get potentially damaging information out fast and painlessly don't leak it anonymously to the Journal. They might do it, as Apple did, on midnight of the Friday of a huge and successful product announcement, but they'd put out a short, brisk, and official press release, and do it through official channels.

No matter how this odd story develops, I'm looking forward to Jobs's return, and I hope he has a long, healthy, successful life in front of him.

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