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Apple Investigated Over Stock Options

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the slight-of-hands dept.

blamanj writes "Apple has joined the list of over fifty companies (most in Silicon Valley) that possibly mishandled stock options by backdating them. The technique is not illegal, but it can cause a company to improperly deduct employee compensation expenses and result in an underpayment of taxes. So far, Apple is conducting the investigation itself, but it has notified the SEC."

11 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. So by Eightyford · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Boring....

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  2. I'm investigating myself. by crazyjeremy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So, Apple investigates itself over something that isn't exactly illegal?

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  3. Sad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    $1 salary ... plus tens of millions in backdated stock options. How altruistic.

    Kind of like Buffett supporting a 50% inheritance tax and then leaving his children $Billions in tax sheltered trusts. Pathetic.

  4. Bizarre article by Infonaut · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple is one of 57 companies being investigated. Who are the other 56 companies? No links, no nothing.

    Stock options in the Valley are definitely a problem, and if Apple screwed up, they deserve whatever they get. However, they did inform the SEC, so it seems a bit early to get out the stakes and holy water.

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    1. Re:Bizarre article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      No kidding.. and why not give one of those other 57 companies the headline, why focus on Apple?

      More and more, Slashdot is sucking every day. Compared to other sites, its news is late, it has misleading titles and reports things that are really uninteresting.

      Was it always this way, or have I just moved on. Dunno.

  5. I am sorry, but this article in no way by geekoid · · Score: 4, Insightful

    deserves to be on slashdot.

    what next, a deep look inside Apples accounting practices? Followed by an investigative report on which urinal cakes Apple uses?

    None of that is News for Nerds, or stuff that matter..

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    1. Re:I am sorry, but this article in no way by The+Bungi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Unless it was Microsoft, of course. But Apple doesn't "deserve it", I guess? Funny how that works around here.

    2. Re:I am sorry, but this article in no way by corbettw · · Score: 1, Insightful

      what next, a deep look inside Apples accounting practices?...None of that is News for Nerds, or stuff that matter..

      So what, you don't think there are nerds in accounting? You might want to swing by there one day during lunch, you'd be amazed.

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  6. from the slight-of-hands dept. by PavementPizza · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And you know what they say about a cowboy with slight hands, don't you?

    Sigh...a six-word subtitle, and it contains a typo. (It's sleight. sleight of hand, not slight of hand.)

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  7. Apple == Boring by OverlordQ · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You know, I'd put my entire Karma on the line to say that if this was M$, instead of "Yawn, is this news?" posts, this entire story would be "M$ Anti-trust! Evil! Screwing their workers!" posts.

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  8. Re:Once again... by jcr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If this were IBM, Microsoft or even Red Hat, all the usual slashdot mac-zealots would be calling for their heads.

    No, if any of those companies found a problem in the course of their own audits and reported it as Apple has, it would be just as much of a non-event as this is.

    -jcr

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