Yahoo CEO resigns, says he has cancer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Before resigning as chief executive of Yahoo Inc. over the weekend, Scott Thompson disclosed to the company's board of directors and several colleagues that he has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, The Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The cancer disclosure by the 54-year-old Mr. Thompson was made late last week, as evidence emerged that appeared to contradict the CEO's assertions that he wasn't responsible for an error in his academic record, one of these people said.

The decision to step down from Yahoo was in part influenced by Mr. Thompson's cancer diagnosis, said this person. The diagnosis had occurred in recent days, added this person, while the board was investigating why the executive's academic record had erroneously included a computer science degree. The error in Mr. Thompson's resume appeared in a Yahoo regulatory filing and on Yahoo's and other corporate websites.

Yahoo on Sunday said Mr. Thompson was resigning as CEO and would be succeeded by Ross Levinsohn, a senior Yahoo executive who becomes interim CEO. Yahoo also announced a deal to end a proxy fight with Third Point LLC, which is a large shareholder of the Sunnyvale, Calif., Internet company.

Mr. Thompson told one colleague that he didn't want to publicly discuss the cancer diagnosis because he wanted to keep personal details private, this person said. He told the colleague he is beginning the treatment process for the cancer, this person said.

On Friday, Mr. Thompson also began to tell some colleagues he would step down, said another person familiar with the matter.

Mr. Thompson couldn't be reached for comment late Sunday, The Journal said.