Jobs re-elected to Disney

(Update with MarketWatch retraction) Steve Jobs made an appearance at a Disney shareholders' meeting Tuesday morning, reports indicate. The Apple CEO is said to have been re-elected to the Disney board at the meeting, following a renomination process which took place in January. The entire previous board has in fact been re-elected, with no shareholder raising an objection to any of the candidates.

Jobs' appearance alone is considered significant, as the executive has been on medical leave since January, and did not appear at a recent shareholder meeting for his own company. He was nevertheless re-elected to the Apple board as well, which along with the Disney vote is thought to be a sign of confidence in a recovery from illness. Jobs' condition has so far been described only as a "hormonal imbalance," and no eyewitness accounts from the Disney meeting have emerged.

Jobs has a presence on the Disney board due to his association with Pixar, which he reigned over until Disney swallowed the studio in 2006. He subsequently became the largest individual shareholder in Disney, holding 7 percent of the company. The iTunes Store has long featured Pixar content, such as shorts, movies and soundtracks.

Update: In a terse message, MarketWatch -- the originator of stories on Jobs' appearance -- now claims the CEO did not appear in person. MacNN will provide more information as it becomes available.

by MacNN Staff