“Apple Computer said on Wednesday that an internal review had found that Steven P. Jobs, the chief executive, knew that the company was backdating some stock options granted to employees to inflate their value,” Laurie J. Flynn reports for The New York Times.
“The company said Mr. Jobs did not knowingly receive any backdated options and had not benefited from the practice, and that he did not understand its accounting implications. A company spokesman, Steve Dowling, said it was possible that there had been “irregularities” with some options granted to Mr. Jobs, but he declined to elaborate,” Flynn reports. “Apple, riding high on the popularity of its iPod music player, repeated that it would most likely need to restate past financial statements, but said it had not yet determined the amount or for which periods.”
“Apple revealed in June that it had discovered irregularities related to stock options awarded between 1997 and 2001,” Flynn reports. “By doing so, it joined more than 100 companies, including Microsoft, that have announced investigations into their options practices.”
“Apple said the investigation found no misconduct by anyone on the company’s current management team. Mr. Dowling said the company was not required to discuss Mr. Jobs’s role in the options grants, but was doing so in the interest of full disclosure,” Flynn reports.
Flynn reports, “Charles R. Wolf, an analyst with Needham & Company, said that investors were likely to respond favorably in the long term, and that he did not expect Apple’s restatement of earnings to be significant or to hurt its future performance. ‘The major risk in the backdating of options was that somehow Steve Jobs was actively involved,’ Mr. Wolf said. ‘The announcement today eliminated that possibility.’ Mr. Wolf said it was within reason that Mr. Jobs would not have paid attention to the backdating, particularly given that it was common and legal. ‘I don’t think he’d know an asset from a liability,’ Mr. Wolf said of Mr. Jobs. ‘That’s not his game.'”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Apple’s special committee reports findings of stock option investigation – October 04, 2006
Shareholders allege Apple execs reaped ‘millions’ in unlawful profits – August 23, 2006
How options-backdating irregularities can affect your Apple Computer stock – August 23, 2006
Apple’s options imbroglio: Mac-maker granted options at or near key events in company’s history – August 18, 2006
Apple added to Nasdaq’s list of ‘delinquent companies’ – August 18, 2006
Apple unlikely to be delisted by NASDAQ – August 16, 2006
Apple CEO Steve Jobs drawn into stock options scandal – August 15, 2006
Apple announces update regarding stock option grants – August 11, 2006
As expected, Apple delays quarterly results due to stock-options grants review – August 11, 2006
Some stock options grant decisions were made by Apple board, and potentially, CEO Steve Jobs – August 10, 2006
Disney: no material impact from Pixar options – August 09, 2006
Pixar options draw scrutiny – August 08, 2006
Apple stock options scandal? What scandal? – August 07, 2006
Class action lawsuit over stock options filed against Apple Computer, Inc. – August 04, 2006
Wall Street forgiving of Apple’s stock option irregularities; CEO Jobs unlikely to be terminated – August 04, 2006
Apple’s stock option irregularities escalate into a scandal as world awaits Steve Jobs’ WWDC keynote – August 04, 2006
Apple warns of profit restatement dating back to 2002 – August 04, 2006
Apple loses 3.5% to $67.15 in premarket trading – August 04, 2006
Apple announces update regarding stock option grants – August 03, 2006
Shareholder’s options suit against Apple alleges ‘striking pattern that could not have been chance’ – July 11, 2006
Apple announces update regarding stock option grants – July 05, 2006
UBS: stock options probe unlikely to hurt Apple – June 30, 2006
Apple joins growing list of companies entangled in stock option ‘irregularities’ – June 29, 2006
Apple to investigate stock option grant ‘irregularities’ made between 1997 and 2001 – June 29, 2006
Ya know, stating Jobs wouldn’t know an asset from a liability is pretty disparaging. He’s a smart guy and I’m sure knows basic economics on which his company runs. Now all the backdating mess sounds like it could be fairly complex and would be handled by his underlings, so it’s unlikely he knew or understood the implications of this, but to say he doesn’t understand basic economic principles is pretty disingenous on Mr. Wolf’s part!
After reading all the news about this; I think the best thing to do is short AAPL and make some money.
97-01. Pretty much the same time frame as the G3. No wonder that thing is crapping out on me now. It’s tainted! ahahaha
gwm, mine too! It won’t even start up anymore! Weird….
Oh well, great excuse for a new iMac!
Yeah, but did you hear I had a bad experience?
New iMac? Don’t I wish.
Sadly, my scandal-era G3 starts right up and runs real strong .. just not strong enough to put much newly emerging software on it. I wish it would stop running so my spouse would let me get a new one. grrrrrrr …
heh
Move along, nothing to see here.
Hey GWM, I’ve herd that a hammer and a 4 story drop can cause a computer to quit working. So could a mcirowave. And probably an oven.
all i know is… Fred Anderson and the other 2 execs owe me $$$.
how do i sue them?
Peterson, I heard you had a bad experience — is that true?
MW: “strength” May Peterson have the strength to get over his “bad experience”!
On an eerily-seemingly related note:
Wow. Sean Hannity is RETARDED!
And Anwar Coulter?
WOW!
I’m speechless. (You Fox Info-tainment fans who saw their show tonite know what I mean.)
Unless you’re in denial.
As in STATE OF DENIAL.
The “Promote Vista/Zune over OSX/iPod at Any Cost” department will not be cheered by this news!
I’ve herd that a hammer and a 4 story drop can cause a computer to quit working. So could a mcirowave. And probably an oven.
Another solution for most computers is to load Windows onto them. Some of them stop working, but most of them simply lose the will to live.
Hey, have you heard that George Dubya has ordered the annexing of that part of Egypt known as the Nile Delta and that in line with common Southern States terminology it will be known as The State of DeNile. To prop up the economic growth of this new State of DeNile (pronounced denial) Dull Computer Corp has been given tax breaks to relocate there to a shared facility with a certain Redmond Corporation. Apparently the brown mud from the bottom of the Nile will be used to provide an essential colouring ingredient for the new Zune music player, supposedly named after the sound the local flies make when buzzing around your head in that region.
So there you have it, straight from the horses a$$, the Zune will be manufactured in the State of DeNile – America’s 51st State.
PS. I know this has nothing to do with option grants, but they are boring and hacked to death over the last months.
MW: turned as in the truth about the option grants turned out to be less dramatic than previously thought.
Yeah….but hasn´t everything been released been Apple generated? This is not a Fed report; wait until the Fed guys step into this and issue their report/supeonas/perp walks.
I don´t think they will take a “I´m sorry” from Steve reply.
Questionable/Illegal activity was done at a company, the CEO knew/approved it and saw the Feds coming in soon, so turned themselves in, now they issue an “I´m sorry”, oops we did something illegal.
Nah…this story ain´t over.
It looks like Steve’s RDF is hard at work here again. Think Obi Wan Kenobi in the first Star Wars film (AKA episode 4). (Steve Jobs waving right hand…”These aren’t the stock options you’re looking for.” Internal Auditor: “These aren’t the stock options we are looking for” Steve Jobs: “There is nothing to see here.” Internal Auditor: “There is nothing to see here.”)
Backdating stock options is NOT the illegal activity here–it is not accounting for that properly in the financial statements. That is why his defense is sound, if it holds up.
Jake
I do feel terrible for Fred Anderson about this, though. He did a lot to help Apple. If his goals weren’t nefarious, he should get leniency.
So, liabilities are a pain in the assets?
Wreck out my iMac G3? BREAK it in little pieces?!?! Ewwwwww .. You guys are cold! I’m about ready for the old fogeys home myself, but the alternative of euthanesia kinda weirds me out. lol!
Lissen .. somebody tell me how to make the monitor on that old G3 iMac work with a Mac mini. That’s what I really need to have happen. Anybody know how to achieve that? I would be soooo happy. I really would.