At 10:02 a.m., the day-trader advice site Benzinga noted that Apple's stock was down amid "Chatter/Rumors About Steve Jobs' Health." Twenty minutes later Business Insider's Jay Yarow observed that the company's stock was down 1 percent and that he'd been hearing rumors from traders that "Steve Jobs could step down as CEO" via Instant Message. 

While the rumors are unsubstantiated at this point, they're possibly a result of the photographs published yesterday of Jobs appearing "sickly and shockingly thin," as the New York Daily News put it.

The 55-year-old CEO is currently on a leave of absence due to "health issues"--something most presume is his battle with cancer. In 2004, Jobs survived a bout of pancreatic cancer and has had a liver transplant. Needless to say, investors are likely on pins and needles today; many people's fortunes are wrapped up in the Cupertino-based company's stock.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at jhudson at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
John Hudson