With the rise of celebrity culture these days, sometimes it feels like our god-given right to know who Britney Spears is hooking up with or whether LiLo really swings that way. But those are celebrities and we expect complete access. What about CEOs?

As you've likely heard, Apple has been dodging questions for the past month now about the health of CEO Steve Jobs. Concern arose when he appeared looking gaunt and frail at last month's developer's conference where the new 3G iPhone was unveiled. The fear that something is up is not entirely unfounded—Jobs previously had a bout of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of the disease. And Apple itself hasn't done much to placate fears, telling shareholders on an earnings conference call yesterday that, "Steve's health is a private matter."

But is it? Provided that what happens to Steve Jobs may, at least temporarily, impact the direction of Apple stock, don't shareholders have the right to know what's going on? To wit: the New York Post ran a story today suggesting that Jobs' health could have a substantial impact on Apple stock, quoting hedge fund managers, investors, and analysts who are all concerned. While all that may sound callous - more worry has been expressed over the direction of the stock than Jobs himself - as a CEO, doesn't he have a responsibility to fess up if he's sick?