“Months into a federal investigation of stock options backdating at Apple, prospects for a criminal case against powerhouse CEO Steve Jobs appear dim,” Howard Mintz and Troy Wolverton report for The Mercury News.
“A Mercury News examination of a massive 2001 stock-options grant to Jobs that was backdated through bogus documentation – the central focus of the federal probe – shows there is scant evidence, if any, to support criminal charges against the Silicon Valley icon,” Mintz and Wolverton report.
Mintz and Wolverton report, “A close review of the events that led to the controversial grant reveals that the backdating emerged from a good-faith, although clumsy, attempt by Apple’s board of directors to reward their star CEO for resurrecting a moribund company.”
Full article which chronicles the history of Jobs’ options and more here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Cedric” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple shareholders propose option-grant changes; Apple opposes proposal – April 16, 2007
Disney board clears Steve Jobs, current Pixar execs in stock options probe – March 17, 2007
Did Steve Jobs ‘financially benefit’ from backdated options? – March 08, 2007
SEC weighing whether companies and shareholders were hurt by backdating options – March 08, 2007
More charges likely in stock options backdating cases – March 04, 2007
SEC won’t bring charges in all options backdating cases – February 12, 2007
Report: Steve Jobs signed off on Pixar deal with backdated options for Lasseter – February 10, 2007
Apple CEO Steve Jobs questioned in options backdating probe – January 23, 2007
Lead prosecutor in Apple options investigation leaves fed post to join private law firm – January 22, 2007
US Attorney Kevin Ryan resigns: What it could mean for Apple – January 18, 2007
Steve Jobs worth $20 billion to Apple Inc. – January 17, 2007
Report: Apple axed lawyer who worked on Steve Jobs’ stock-option grant – January 05, 2007
RUMOR: Steve Jobs will take leave of absence from Apple Computer – January 05, 2007
Apple CEO Steve Jobs getting special treatment in options backdating scandal? – January 04, 2007
Could Apple thrive without Steve Jobs? – January 04, 2007
Apple stock-option fallout: investor lawsuit and twin U.S. gov’t investigations – January 04, 2007
WSJ: Steve Jobs, backdating miscreant – January 03, 2007
Should Steve Jobs be allowed to survive Apple’s options backdating scandal? – January 02, 2007
Apple options probe shines spotlight on former execs Anderson and Heinen – January 02, 2007
ThinkEquity analyst: Apple sell-off due to ‘inexperienced traders,’ nothing new in options story – December 28, 2006
Analyst: U.S. Gov’t unlikely to ‘nail Apple and Steve Jobs’ – December 28, 2006
Report: Apple ‘falsified’ records on 7.5m stock options granted to CEO Steve Jobs in 2001 – December 28, 2006
What would Apple be worth without Steve Jobs? – December 27, 2006
Piper Jaffray: Steve Jobs not at risk in stock options case – December 27, 2006
Apple shares push into positive territory, top NASDAQ most-active list – December 27, 2006
Shares of Apple Computer fall 5% in pre-market trading – December 27, 2006
Faked documents may be at core of Apple options probe; Jobs seeks outside legal representation – December 26, 2006
Apple delays filing annual report due to ongoing stock options investigation – December 15, 2006
Options scandal: is Apple’s Steve Jobs truly safe? – October 18, 2006
Apple Computer Directors may have had conflicts of interest in options investigation – October 11, 2006
Apple’s options disclosures leave plenty of unanswered questions – October 09, 2006
Apple shareholders await earnings restatements; Steve Jobs still not in the clear – October 06, 2006
Former CFO Anderson helped turn Apple Computer around – October 05, 2006
Wall Street unshaken by results of Apple stock options investigation – October 05, 2006
Is Apple rotten at the core? – October 05, 2006
Analyst: Anderson, Heinen may be former Apple executives responsible for irregular options grants – October 05, 2006
Analyst: Apple restatement due to options irregularities not expected to be significant – October 04, 2006
Apple’s special committee reports findings of stock option investigation – October 04, 2006
Google CEO declines Apple automatic stock option grant; plans to buy 10,000 AAPL shares instead – September 01, 2006
Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt joins Apple’s Board of Directors – August 29, 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
Shucks, I thought he would like being celled up with the “Dell dude”.
Steve: “Got any tofu?”
Dell dude: “Got any grass?”
’bout time
For an annual salary of only $1.00, Steve Jobs must have gotten a great public defender.
Never thought it would lead anywhere… but it ain’t over until the fat lady sings.
All the morons who have been waiting for Steve to get nailed can shoot themselves now.
iJail
iSlammer
iPrison
Don’t drop the iSoap!
iJail
iSlammer
iPrison
Don’t drop the iSoap!
Or
iWill
make you my
iBitch
iWill
iBitch Phone or is that iPhone Bitch!
Fish Steve: “But iGot a new cool iPhone up my iButt!”
Booty Bandit: “But iDont care, nobody on the outside likes my iAss anyway, so give it iUp.”
Fish Steve: “But iScared, will iHurt?”
Booty Bandit: “You scream, iScream, the whole iBlock screams for ice cream”
Fish Steve: “iSee”
Fish Steve, I required medication once.
“…prospects for a criminal case against powerhouse CEO Steve Jobs appear dim…”
Do I detect a hint of these reporters wanting a criminal case against Steve to proceed?
It was very “dim” chance from the beginning that any thing would become of this, however it would be great to see thhis come to an end.
Maybe the appearance has something to do with dim bulbs to begin with.
oh-h-h iDunno
If it goes away, there is no story for the press to make hay with.
We never doubted that SJ was never the type of man to dirty himself by fiddling things in his favour – let alone to do with finance – something I’d guess he has absolutely no interest in.
It looks like the Mercury News is sad that they will not be convicting Steve Jobs for this.
Unlike their love of Bill Gates (whose company went before the DOJ, was found guilty, and still got off light, then did not even comply with the federal judge that they bought off) they really don’t seem to like Apple.
I recently met this guy that said that “He just did not like Apple so he would not buy their products.” No reason at all was given, just a dislike. Maybe its all that subliminal advertising by Microsoft that gets to those weak willed individuals. LOL
Just a thought.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
ne
I would like to say something to all the intelligent and relevant posters on this site
Go FSCK yourselves.
Yea, really. You read the FSCKing article tripe and you make some lame ass comment.
You buy into the conditioning here and become brainwashed little lemmings in the process.
DON’T YOU HAVE SOMETHING ORIGINAL TO SAY?
Even a good fsck you FireEater would be nice, or Steve Jobs is a TurtleNecked Ninja Turtle in disguise.
What you scared of being IP blocked?
If your not surfing this site behind a offshore proxy with all the Javascript, cookies, plug-ins, ActiveX, pop-unders and overs automatically blocked, YOU A COMPLETE IDIOT.
You know this page loads in mere seconds without all that crap?
Doubleclick (aka Google) doesn’t have your history to give anything to the Feds.
No nasty trick link mouse roll overs popping up either which MDN if famous for.
Say what you want and you can never get booted because your IP revolves, even route a few proxies through one another!!!
Live life free on the internet, surf anonymously with a proxy!
You do know how to Google right?
@FireEater
So, is English your second language ?
“ActiveX” ? .. Who uses that ? ..
You stop by and grace us with your presence.. and then you call everyone here an idiot ?
Whoa ! The pot calling the kettle black.. or what ?
Obviously, youre a WinDoze troll ..
I wouldn’t use a system with ActiveX on it.
FireEater, if you use a system with ActiveX on it dump it ASAP.
Live life free everywhere. Live Microsoft free. Drop those Homeland Security backdoors in your OS. Switch to Linux right now.
As I always expected.
If this whole matter blows by, and I hope it does, then the shorts will work to create another rumor of impending disaster to pound the stock. They live off the emotional backlash to investor fear. Try not to feed them.
You Think?
NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE NON-ISSUE
Oh please find something else to prattle about.
Just a god I hate slow news days thought.
If MDN decides that everyone who posts must log in first, whatever shall I do for my daily comedy fix?
This was known from the beginning.