Steve 3.0

Steve Jobs’ co-founding of Apple Computer, unceremonious firing, and triumphant rescue of the company from the ash-heap of technological irrelevance, are the stuff of Silicon Valley legend. After assurances that he had successfully fought off pancreatic cancer, he took an extended leave of absence this year. It now turns out, according to the Wall Street Journal, that he had a liver transplant.

the type of slow-growing pancreatic tumor Mr. Jobs had will commonly metastasize in another organ during a patient's lifetime, and that the organ is usually the liver. [snip]Getting a liver transplant to treat a metastasized neuroendocrine tumor is controversial because livers are scarce and the surgery's efficacy as a cure hasn't been proved.

While I believe in the principle of corporate full disclosure (accompanied by fewer rules and regulations to limit freedom of action---but that discussion’s for another day), anyone with a modicum of intelligence could tell that something was going on with Steve Jobs’ health. Once he went on leave, investors became reconciled to the possibility that he would never return to Apple. More importantly, full disclosure could have jeopardized his health; the media feeding frenzy that would have surrounded his operation and recovery has no upside visible to this Apple stockholder.

Now there’s a good chance that he will be involved with Apple for many more years. Live long and prosper, Steve.