"Steve's health is a private matter."

That's how Apple addressed the question of CEO Steve Jobs' health during the quarterly earnings conference call yesterday. Not very reassuring for shareholders, especially from a company that didn't disclose an earlier health scare for nine months.

Earlier this summer, Fake Steve Jobs author Dan Lyons quit writing Fake Steve in part because of concerns over his health. "I just didn't want to get into a situation where I had to say 'oh, well its been a good run but it's in bad taste now,'" Lyons later told the Industry Standard.

Jobs' health is not just an issue for bloggers and other Apple fans. It's apparently attracted a lot of notice on Wall Street. The New York Post yesterday ran a story on Steve's health, prominently linked on the Drudge Report all day, quoting several Wall Street insiders who are extremely concerned about Jobs's physical state. "Apple's hedge fund investors are very worried," said one source. Another investor admitted dumping "a few million shares" over Jobs's health.

Apple's current policy of keeping quiet will not make concerns about Jobs' health go away. The company won't open up, unless something serious happens. Meanwhile, in the absence of any confirmation or denial, expect the who-will-succeed-Steve parlor games to continue.

More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:

• Suggested Prediction: Steve Jobs illness officially disclosed
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• Analysis: Independent gaming could flourish on the iPhone