June 24th, 2009
Buffett: Steve Jobs' surgery was a "material fact"; should have been disclosed
Apple, its board and Steve Jobs should have disclosed the liver transplant that Jobs received earlier this year because “it’s a material fact,” Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett said on CNBC’s The Call this morning.
Buffett was careful with his response but was clear that he believed it was the right thing to do. He was responding to a question of whether he believed the criticism of Apple and its board this week has been fair. Said Buffett:
I think that if I have any serious, uh, I dont know, something serious coming up of an important nature, an operation or anything like that, I think the thing to do is just tell the American, (pause) Berkshire shareholders about it. Ya know, I work for them, uh, some people might think I’m important to the company. They certainly see Jobs as important to Apple and so it’s a material fact. Whether he is facing serious surgery or not is a material fact. Whether I’m facing surgery is a material fact… I think that’s important to get out… They’re gonna find out about it anyway so I don’t see a big privacy issue or anything of the sort.
Previous coverage: Jobs recovering from liver transplant; re-ignites debate over privacy rights
Sam Diaz is a senior editor at ZDNet. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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