• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, May 14, 2012

In another dark twist to Scott Thompson’s fall, the exiting Yahoo CEO has reportedly been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. As sources tell The Wall Street Journal, that’s what Thompson told the company’s board of directors and several colleagues, last week. “The decision to step down from Yahoo was in part influenced by Mr. Thompson's cancer diagnosis,” WSJ reports, citing a source. The diagnosis apparently occurred only recently -- all while the board was investigating why Thompson’s academic record had erroneously included a computer science degree.

Yahoo on Sunday said 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 Yahoo, and a staunch critic of Thompson. Meanwhile, “Thompson told one colleague that he didn't want to publicly discuss the cancer diagnosis because he wanted to keep personal details private,” WSJ reports, citing its source.