Having criticised Steve Jobs of Apple in the past for failing to disclose to investors what was wrong with him, I have to say that I think he has done all that can be expected of him for now.
Mr Jobs’ statement yesterday that his weight loss is due to a hormone disorder that means he has not been digesting food properly has failed to still the speculation. Jeff Bercovici notes that both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times this morning have interviews with doctors that raise further questions.
However, the reality is that even having complete access to Mr Jobs’ medical records would probably not answer all questions. Medical conditions are often ambiguous and difficult to diagnose, and no-one (apart from the Almighty) is in possession of all the facts.
So the question comes back to whether Mr Jobs has said enough to fulfil his requirements to investors. I think he has done. He has said he has a chronic illness from which he expects to recover, has given some indication of when he should be back to normal, and said that he is staying in his post as chief executive.
That is not entirely satisfying to everyone, but it seems to me to do the job. I hope, along with everyone else, that he indeed gets his full health back.
