Silence, shareholders!
Business as usual at Apple's annual shareholders meeting. Several proposals aimed at changing executive compensation and environmental policies were heard and rejected; the board was, as expected, re-approved. Steve Jobs, the iconic CEO and micro-manager, dominated the question-and-answer session like no other, enthralling the audience and drawing laughter. Likewise, Jobs was peppered with angry or difficult questions which he dismissed or would not tolerate. Nor would any other board member, most of whom were not there, be allowed to fulfill their board responsibilities according to Troy Wolverton of the Mercury News:
Indeed, when one shareholder attempted to ask a question of Bill Campbell, who heads Apple's compensation committee, Jobs refused to allow Campbell to answer, saying that Campbell and two other Apple directors who attended the meeting were there as "guests."