CEOs of public companies should be obligated to share their health status with investors. - Inspired by media attention surrounding Steve Jobs' health

Is health a private matter? Since the release of the new iPhone, Apple shareholders have been asking about Steve Job’s health. He looked gaunt at the announcement, which brought up initial  concern. Do the shareholders have a right to know the status of his health?

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Companies must disclose material information to shareholders. The SEC defines that as information ‘the reasonable investor needs to know in order to make an informed decision about his investment.’”

In fact, Steve Jobs, called New York times columnist Joe Nocera, who had called Apple PR repeatedly to answer looming concerns about Jobs’ health. Since he is widely viewed as a central figure to Apple’s succes, Nocera wrote that Jobs, “ought to feel some responsibility to tell shareholders about his health.” Jobs told the columnist, on the phone call, that his condition was not life threatening and further asked that the details he shared with Nocera remain off the record.