Updates to this story
When a figure as worshipped as Steve Jobs announces he's ill, the fanboys and fawning media first panic, then they come over sympathetic by giving him the respect and privacy he needs.
You'd think the latter means a blanket silence over the whole palaver. But wait, haven't we been inundated with RSS feeds giving us up to the minute reports on the latest state of the Jobsian Jobs?
Well known hangers-on are all reporting that Apple is being forced to disclose a succession plan for CEO Steve Jobs.
The company is being pressured by shareholders to reveal what it's going to do when CEO Steve Jobs finally returns to his position as Messiah. They have received support from Institutional Shareholder Services, an influential advisory firm which believes Apple shareholders should not be kept in the dark about the future.
Apple has fired back saying that it already has a plan in place but wants to stay tight lipped as it fears the information could be used to the advantage of competitors.
Steve's time is ticking, with Apple shareholders voting on the CEO succession plan question on the 23rd of February.
The Tame Apple Press continues to give Jobs all the privacy he needs as it mutters to itself about who Mr Jobs' worthy successor will be.
Would you really want the extra stress of having to deal with this "openness"? Not likely.
Steve Jobs is an important member of Apple's management team... but he is not "Apple". There are many other key management figures in Apple who have seen Apple progress just as rapidly in Steve's absence in the past, and will do so in the future.
People in the media (and some shareholders) see Steve Jobs as some sort of superstar. Just as if he was Brad Pitt or another celebrity, they want to get every detail about his private life... regardless of how this would affect him personally.
1. He brought Apple back
2. He's given me some pretty cool products for years while other play catch-up.
3. He gets $1 per year salary the rest tied to stock like me as a stockholder.
4. He's made my 5345 shares do VERY nicely indeed! Some of which I bought at $19 and have split twice since!
So as a shareholder I do think he is a superstar as no other stock I hold has even come close dividends or not.