Will Pixar Options Flap Hit Jobs' Job At Apple?

from the looking-over-the-options dept

Mon, Aug 28th 2006 9:11am — Carlo Longino

Hardly a week goes by that another handful of publicly traded tech companies don't disclose that they're under investigation by the SEC for options backdating. Some time ago, Apple said it was being investigated, then soon after, some options grants at Pixar came under scrutiny. The Apple investigation isn't likely to implicate Steve Jobs, should it come to fruition, analysts say, because the company's compensation committee was solely made up of outside directors. However, at Pixar (which is yet to disclose it's being investigated, some investors are concerned that Jobs might have been involved. Pixar's board of directors performed many of the functions of the compensation committee during the period of time covering the options grants in question; Jobs was one of four directors who was at the company for that entire period. While analysts say the impact of financial restatements due to options backdating is pretty minimal, however for the individuals involved, criminal charges are possible (such as those field against a former Brocade CEO, and the ex-CEO of Comverse, who's since done a runner), and the SEC can also bar people from serving as directors, officers or "financial reporting executives" from public companies, as it's done to other tech CEOs before. While the possibility of Jobs facing such a ban seems fairly remote at this point, it again raises the question of what happens at Apple after Jobs leaves, which came up when he was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago. The company's in a much better position than it was when he rejoined, with a much more powerful brand and better products, and should be able to carry on without him. But there's no doubt that the Jobs mystique is also beneficial to Apple, and there aren't many CEOs that could bring something similar to the table.

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®idiculous ©rap, 28 Aug 2006 @ 10:09am

These are not the droids you're looking for
The Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field will protect him just fine. Fox News has nothing on the Master-of-Spin.
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Annoying Bastard, 28 Aug 2006 @ 10:10am

Rotten to the Corps (oops, I meant core...)
If we can get rid of Steve, then Microsoft and the Beatles win!

We already can load our our OS on their new (overpriced) hardware.

If we can remove the captain of the mothership, then all the pod people will be left without direction.

WE WILL TAKE OUR PLANET BACK! :-P
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Sanguine Dream, 28 Aug 2006 @ 10:38am

Buyout...
If/when Jobs leaves Apple Gates will just buy out Apple and continue his plan for world domination.
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Innerdaemon, 28 Aug 2006 @ 11:07am

Apple under investigation?
I am not sure if this statement is true: " Some time ago, Apple said it was being investigated". Apple has been conducting its own investigation into this and has delayed filing its 10Q but currently there are no SEC or DoJ investigations or any other federal/state probes concerning Apple (or at least ones that have been publicly declared). Of course that doesn't mean that there will not be one in the future but its just worth noting.
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Mr.Obvious, 28 Aug 2006 @ 11:56am

overpriced
Apple hardware is not overpriced when you compare a Apple to Apple not a Apple to a Lemon.I own both Microsoft and Apple products and for my money I have yet to be let down by my Apple products.But I am always having issues with Microsoft products.Not to mention the little trouble it is to get my Apple stuff up and running right from the start.Look for Apple to start ganing more market share of home computers in the next few years.And when it comes to the iPod there is always news about something coming out that could possibly be the iPod killer.But yet they never do.And the news of the Zune coming has all been hyped to be a iPod killer.But nobody knows what Apple has up their sleeve to counter yet another so called iPod killer.Just wait Apple will release yet another great iPod to make the latest "killer" look silly again.But that's just my opinion and nothing more.
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Chris, 28 Aug 2006 @ 11:57am

For those who dont realize....
... Gates has a signifigant part in getting Apple off the groud, having invested a ton money and technology into the company. Im sure he's getting enough kickbacks as is, and buying Apple would only make the competion disapper, once again landing him in court for monopolizing the market.
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Jay, 28 Aug 2006 @ 1:04pm

Just silly...
people are just plain silly. they're just computers not real cultures. i run on both ms and apple they both have their geeks, quirks, and zombies. i prefer apple because. give me competition over 1984 and i am happy.
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Innerdaemon, 29 Aug 2006 @ 7:17am

Re: For those who dont realize....
Chris - exactly how did Gates get "Apple off the ground"? Investment history indicates that Don Valentine was one of the primary investors in the 1970s - are you suggesting that Bill Gates invested alongside Valentine and Markulla to get "Apple of the ground"?
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em, 29 Aug 2006 @ 11:31am

Jobs only makes $1 a year salary.

The rest is made from $$$$$$$ stock & options.
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