Apple CEO Tim Cook out as gay: I'm proud

Apple CEO Tim Cook wr a lumn which he announc that he's gay: "I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me." * tim cook is gay *

"In December 2013, a speech Cook gave on gay rights and racism -- cludg personal discrimatn -- led some media outlets, cludg Gawker's tech se Valleywag, to ponr if that was the first time the Apple CEO acknowledged his sexual orientatn publicly. This summer, a CNBC segment of "Squawk on the Street" turned heads when one host accintally "outed" Cook, sayg “I thk Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact that he’s gay at the head of Apple isn’t he?

WHY IS APPLE'S TIM COOK THE ONLY OPENLY GAY CEO OF A MAJOR US FIRM?

Tim Cook was already one of the most high-profile bs lears the world, and now he is s most proment openly gay CEO. * tim cook is gay *

Image source, Getty ImagIt's pretty startlg that among the chief executiv of the 500 biggt US pani only one, Tim Cook of Apple, is openly claratn this week that he is "proud to be gay" was hailed as an important moment for the gay muny. Campaigners say they know of boss of other big firms who are gay, but are reluctant to be open about hope Mr Cook's public acknowledgement will spur them to e what is holdg them back? Changg tim"When I was at universy, people who did gay thgs, homosexual acts, ually went to prison and stayed there a long time, " Lord Browne said an terview wh the BBC earlier this rigned as chief executive of BP 2007 after emerged that statements he had ma legal documents about a four-year relatnship he'd had wh a man had been "untthful" Lord Browne, many chief executiv would have grown up tim that were much ls tolerant of gay people.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK SAID HE CID TO E OUT AS GAY AFTER READG LETTERS OM KIDS STGGLG WH THEIR INTY

Like Apple CEO Tim Cook, the top executiv are openly gay the workplace. * tim cook is gay *

"Societal views have changed nsirably, but that has only really been the past 10 years, " says Si Sandhu, founr of profsnal work ptn, Former BP chief executive Lord Browne says Mr Cook is "an important role mol"Gay people now their 50s and 60s uld have been keepg their sexualy a secret om lleagu for years, perhaps s. "Some of our bt lears are known for their honty and thenticy, to kd of then turn around and go, 'Actually, there's a big thg that I haven't que mentned', is que difficult, " says Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, the lbian, gay and bisexual equaly anisatn. "Once you e out, you are expected to sudnly be an expert on all thgs gay, but of urse you are an expert on your job - not all thgs gay, " says Ms source, Getty ImagCommercial ncernsChief executiv uld have another ncern.

The Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn lists 78 untri wh crimal laws agast sexual activy by the groups of those untri are Ai, Asia and the Middle regns are growg fast and are where amb pani would be eager to Sandhu of Outstandg thks havg a gay chief executive "uld impact sal" those untri. But that remas to be seen, as there is no data to support the Tim Cook's announcement, we might fd out over the next few years whether ctomers might nsir the sexualy of a chief executive when choosg a mobile prospectsSo what about gay people tryg to work their way through the ranks the current era? Over three-quarters of Ameri's 500 biggt pani have non-discrimatn polici that bar firg someone bee they are gay or lbian, says Jt Nelson, -founr and print of the US Natnal Gay and Lbian Chamber of he says those polici n only go so far.

"There are still tim that, even when you have a policy, the guy the cubicle next to you might have a personal belief that is not fully clive, " he source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Christopher Bailey is the only openly gay chief executive of a FTSE 100 firmSome dtri are workg harr than others to overe such UK fashn dtry n boast the only openly gay chief executive among FTSE 100 pani, after Christopher Bailey beme chief executive of Burberry earlier this Sandhu says diversy is " the DNA" of the fashn dtry is not necsarily leadg the way enuragg gay staff. The buildg tra is also makg a big effort, she says, wh nstctn giant Balfour Beatty workg closely wh Stonewall to help gay staff.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK OUT: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that he is gay last week, but activist and wrer Darnell Moore qutns how that news looks like progrs to all LGBT people. * tim cook is gay *

"It's que shockg to learn that even now graduat who are openly gay at universy are gog back to the closet bee the bs world is a ltle behd, " says Mr on this story. Apple CEO Tim Cook says he was motivated to publicly e out as gay after receivg letters om children stgglg wh their sexual an terview wh People en Español, Cook discsed his public g out and his msage to children uncerta about revealg their sexual, now 58, me out 2014, beg the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 's ments e amid a tough spell for the Apple CEO, who has faced cricism for his cisn earlier this month to remove om the App Store an app that allowed Hong Kong protters to track police Bs Insir's homepage for more stori.

Tim Cook says he was motivated to e out as gay after receivg letters om children stgglg wh their sexual ually private Apple CEO publicly me out 2014, revealg his sexual orientatn an open letter published Bloomberg Bsweek. This ma him the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 an terview wh People en Español published Thursday, the 58-year-old spoke about a range of topics related to sexual orientatn and young people.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK: ‘I’M PROUD TO BE GAY’

His say acknowledged how beg gay has changed his life * tim cook is gay *

"Though Cook said he "didn't worry" about how Apple staff would react to his g out, he did acknowledge worryg about the reactn "outsi of Apple, " and noted that "the world is still not iendly to gay or trans people many untri but also wh our untry. "Let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me, " he wrote a lumn Bloomberg Bsweek.

"So if hearg that the CEO of Apple is gay n help someone stgglg to e to terms wh who he or she is, or brg fort to anyone who feels alone, or spire people to sist on their equaly, then 's worth the tra-off wh my own privacy. " Related: Tim Cook isn't the only openly gay CEO Cook, who grew up Alabama, said he has long been open about his sexual orientatn, but had jt not prevly discsed publicly. "Plenty of lleagu at Apple know I'm gay, and don't seem to make a difference the way they treat me, " he wrote.

TIM COOK ISN'T THE ONLY OPENLY GAY CEO

Apple CEO Tim Cook tells CNN’s Christiane Amanpour why he was spired to e out as gay after seeg people bullied onle for their sexual orientatn. * tim cook is gay *

John Browne served as CEO of BP (BP) om 1995 to 2007, and acknowledged he was gay after he was forced to leave office. Tim Cook was already one of the most high-profile bs lears the world, and now he is s most proment openly gay ’s chief executive addrsed his sexual orientatn publicly for the first time Thursday, g out a first-person say tled “Tim Cook Speaks Up. ”“Let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me, ” he wrote the say, which was published Bloomberg rporate lears have e out of the closet, even though dog so has bee more mon among celebri, profsnal athlet and policians.

Gay rights supporters note that 29 stat do not have laws that explicly prohib workplace discrimatn based on sexual orientatn, and they hope Cook’s g out will brg attentn to the issue. The 53-year-old had been wily mored to be gay for years, but the tech world largely paid ltle attentn to such changed Thursday, wh several tech lears quickly turng to social media to appld Cook’s cisn to e out. Durg a roundtable discsn, -anchor Simon Hobbs said: “I thk Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact he’s gay at the head of Apple, isn’t he?

”Cook didn’t addrs the CNBC gaffe at the time, but he has long been vol about his stnch support of gay rights.

APPLE'S CEO IS NOW OPENLY GAY. IS THAT PROGRS?

Tim Cook’s g out is one of many signs that gay rights is no longer an tomatic wedge issue Amerin culture and polics. * tim cook is gay *

#applepri”In July, he followed that up by tweetg a lk to a vio showg employe celebratg gay pri by donng whe T-shirts wh the Apple in outled by a jt this week, Cook slammed Alabama’s long-standg issu wh racial equaly and discrimatn agast gays a speech he ma durg a ceremony ductg him to the Alabama Amy of Honor. “If hearg that the CEO of Apple is gay n help someone stgglg to e to terms wh who he or she is, or brg fort to anyone who feels alone, or spire people to sist on their equaly, ” he said, “then ’s worth the tra-off wh my own privacy.

But that's not what he wants you to know about a lumn Bloomberg Bsweek, Cook acknowledged what many had long known: he is homosexual. Cook is a prize that regard: The man who ns what is arguably Ameri's most important and novative pany is gay. The danger, Cook knows, is that he is now Ameri's most high-profile gay, and there will be a sire for him to weigh personally on ballot iativ, speak at mpaign events, and give time, talent and treasure to LGBT .

He n be mightier than Zs the Amerin gay pantheon, particularly the South, where Cook hails and where the battl n be so btal. When CNNMoney asked Gawker to nfirm that Denton was gay, Gawker edor--chief Max Read replied, "If Nick's not gay, his hband will be very surprised to fd out. He has sce wrten a book lled The Glass Closet to enurage other closeted, gay dividuals to e forward and "brg their whole selv to work.

COOK: BEG GAY ‘IS GOD’S GREATT GIFT TO ME’

* tim cook is gay *

This summer he wrote an opn piece for Time Magaze entled, "Yep, I'm Gay, and I'm a CEO—It Don't Stop Me From Runng a Great Bs". He mak clear on his LkedIn profile that he supports LGBT iativ, and his new employer Nike has also been vol about supportg gay marriage.

TIM COOK AND THE END OF GAY RIGHTS AS A WEDGE ISSUE

<b>The CEO of Apple said he intifi as gay an <a href="; target="_blank">article</a> Thursday for Bloomberg BsWeek.</b> * tim cook is gay *

Apple CEO Tim Cook ma history last week, beg the first Fortune 500 CEO to break through the steel ceilg of heterosexual privilege the bs world when he disclosed Bsweek that he is "proud to be gay.

Are prosperg, recent rearch dit that lbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Amerins actually remaed more likely to be poor than heterosexual people. He even wrote, "Beg gay has given me a eper unrstandg of what means to be the mory and provid a wdow to the challeng that people other mory groups al wh every day.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK IS 'PROUD TO BE GAY'

"Yet, the plex and ternnected stggl of queer women, people of lor, and transgenr dividuals are often obscured when we celebrate seemg moments of sgular gay uplift.

TIM COOK: I'M PROUD TO BE GAYTIM COOK: I'M PROUD TO BE GAY

In fact, twenty-four percent of lbians and bisexual women are poor, pared wh only 19% of heterosexual women, as reported by the Williams, Cook exists among a ntgent wh the LGBT muny ma up of whe cisgenr men who are more likely to be enomilly stable, employed, and ’s announcement was important given that up until now there was not one openly gay Fortune 500 CEO, but we should be ls quick our sh to name this moment progrs.

" And now one is openly long as gayns is an inty celebrated or talked about when certa LGBT people, like the wealthy and famo, e out or when LGBT people are vlently killed the US, we will ntue to wns the var ways some wh the LGBT spectm are placed squarely the center of power as some others are phed to the edg of the is no activist. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has spoken publicly about his sexualy a Bloomberg Bsweek op-ed, wrg, “I’m proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me. ” It’s the most forceful claratn of self we’ve seen by a gay person recent memory — one that prents beg gay as somethg legimately different om beg straight, and no worse for that.

TIM {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}AMERIN BS EXECUTIVE AND ENGEER TIM COOK HAS SERVED AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF APPLE SCE AUGT {MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{LE-HEIGHT:1.6;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: APR 15, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: ROY ROCHL/{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}(1960-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS TIM COOK?APPLE CEO TIM COOK GRADUATED OM AUBURN UNIVERSY WH A BACHELOR'S GREE DTRIAL ENGEERG AND EARNED AN MBA OM DE UNIVERSY'S FUQUA SCHOOL OF BS. FOLLOWG A 12-YEAR REER AT IBM, COOK WENT ON TO EXECUTIVE ROL AT INTELLIGENT ELECTRONICS AND COMPAQ, BEFORE JOG APPLE 1998. IN AUGT 2011, COOK WAS NAMED APPLE'S NEW CEO, FOLLOWG THE ATH OF PRECSOR {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}STEVE JOBS.EARLY LIFE AND EDUTNTIM COOK WAS BORN TIMOTHY D. COOK THE SMALL TOWN OF ROBERTSDALE, ALABAMA, ON NOVEMBER 1, 1960. THE MIDDLE OF THREE SONS BORN TO FATHER DONALD, A SHIPYARD WORKER, AND MOTHER GERALDE, A HOMEMAKER, COOK ATTEND ROBERTSDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATED SEND HIS CLASS 1978. HE ENROLLED AT AUBURN UNIVERSY ALABAMA, GRADUATG 1982 WH A BACHELOR'S GREE DTRIAL ENGEERG, AND WENT ON TO EARN A MASTER OF BS ADMISTRATN GREE OM DE UNIVERSY'S FUQUA SCHOOL OF BS 1988. ADDNALLY, COOK WAS AWARD THE TLE OF FUQUA SCHOLAR—AN HONOR GIVEN ONLY TO STUNTS AT THE BS SCHOOL WHO GRADUATE THE TOP 10 PERCENT OF THEIR CLASS.EARLY CAREERFRH OUT OF GRADUATE SCHOOL, COOK EMBARKED ON A REER THE FIELD OF PUTER TECHNOLOGY. HE WAS HIRED BY IBM, WHERE HE MOVED UP THE RANKS TO BEE THE RPORATN'S NORTH AMERIN FULFILLMENT DIRECTOR, MANAGG MANUFACTURG AND DISTRIBUTN FUNCTNS FOR IBM'S PERSONAL COMPUTER COMPANY BOTH NORTH AND LAT AMERI. FOLLOWG A 12-YEAR REER AT IBM, COOK 1994 BEME THE CHIEF OPERATG OFFICER OF THE RELLER DIVISN AT INTELLIGENT ELECTRONICS. AFTER THREE YEARS, HE JOED THE COMPAQ COMPUTER CORPORATN AS VICE PRINT OF RPORATE MATERIALS, CHARGED WH PROCURG AND MANAGG PRODUCT VENTORY. HIS TIME THERE WAS SHORT-LIVED, HOWEVER: AFTER A SIX-MONTH STT AT COMPAQ, COOK LEFT FOR A POSN AT APPLE.CAREER AT APPLE"MY MOST SIGNIFINT DISVERY SO FAR MY LIFE WAS THE RULT OF ONE SGLE CISN: MY CISN TO JO APPLE," COOK STATED SOME 12 YEARS AFTER JOG THE RPORATN, WHILE SPEAKG AT AUBURN UNIVERSY'S MENCEMENT CEREMONY 2010. HOWEVER, WASN'T AN EASY CISN: COOK BEGAN WORKG FOR APPLE EARLY 1998, BEFORE THE PANY HAD VELOPED THE IMAC, IPOD, IPHONE OR IPAD, AND WHEN WAS SEEG CLG PROFS STEAD OF PROF GROWTH. ACRDG TO COOK, PRR TO ACCEPTG HIS JOB AT APPLE, HE WAS ACTUALLY DISSUAD OM DOG SO ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE PANY'S FUTURE LOOKED VERY BLEAK."WHILE APPLE DID MAKE MACS, THE PANY HAD BEEN LOSG SAL FOR YEARS AND WAS MONLY NSIRED TO BE ON THE VERGE OF EXTCTN," HE TOLD THE AUBURN GRADUAT. "ONLY A FEW MONTHS BEFORE I'D ACCEPTED THE JOB AT APPLE, MICHAEL DELL, THE FOUNR AND CEO OF DELL COMPUTER, WAS PUBLICLY ASKED WHAT HE WOULD DO TO FIX APPLE, AND HE RPOND, 'I'D SHUT DOWN AND GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO THE SHAREHOLRS.'" BUT THGS QUICKLY CHANGED AFTER COOK ME ON BOARD AS A VICE PRINT. LS THAN A YEAR AFTER HIS APPLE BUT, THE RPORATN WAS REPORTG PROFS, AN EXTRAORDARY SHIFT OM A RECENT REPORT THAT SHOWED A LOSS OF $1 BILLN OM THE PRR FISL YEAR. AS COOK ROSE TO EXECUTIVE VICE PRINT AND THEN CHIEF OPERATG OFFICER, HE TOOK RPONSIBILY FOR MANAGG WORLDWI SAL AND OPERATNS, ALONG WH LEADG THE MACTOSH DIVISN AND NTUED VELOPMENT OF RELLER/SUPPLIER RELATNSHIPS. IN AUGT 2011, COOK WAS NAMED APPLE'S NEW CEO, TAKG OVER THE POSN FOR FORMER CEO AND APPLE -FOUNR STEVE JOBS, WHO DIED OCTOBER 2011 AFTER A YEARS-LONG BATTLE WH NCER. IN ADDN TO SERVG AS CEO, COOK SS ON THE RPORATN'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS.IN MAY 2014, APPLE ANNOUNCED S BIGGT ACQUISN TO DATE WHEN BOUGHT BEATS MIC AND BEATS ELECTRONICS FOR $3 BILLN. AS PART OF THE AL, BEATS -FOUNRS DR. DRE AND JIMMY IOVE WOULD JO APPLE EXECUTIVE ROL. IN A LETTER TO APPLE EMPLOYE, COOK SAID, “THIS AFTERNOON WE ANNOUNCED THAT APPLE IS ACQUIRG BEATS MIC AND BEATS ELECTRONICS, TWO FAST-GROWG BS WHICH PLEMENT OUR PRODUCT LE AND WILL HELP EXTEND THE APPLE ESYSTEM THE FUTURE. BRGG OUR PANI TOGETHER PAV THE WAY FOR AMAZG VELOPMENTS WHICH OUR CTOMERS WILL LOVE.”FOLLOWG THIS, AT THE WORLDWI DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE JUNE 2014, COOK ANNOUNCED THE LATT VERSN OF THE APPLE OPERATG SYSTEM FOR SKTOP AND MOBILE, OSX YOSEME. IN SEPTEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR, COOK UNVEILED THE IPHONE 6 AND IPHONE 6 PL, BOTH OF WHICH HAD LARGER SCREEN SIZ AND ME WH NEW FEATUR SUCH AS APPLE PAY AND “BURST SELFI.” HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THE FIRST NEW PRODUCT UNR HIS REIGN, A WEARABLE VICE TO TRACK FNS AND HEALTH, THE “APPLE WATCH,” AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}{WIDTH:0;M-WIDTH:100%;PADDG-TOP:0.625REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;MARG-BOTTOM:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTERITALIC,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}TIM {PADDG-LEFT:0REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;}PHOTO: GETTY IMAGCOOK NTUED TO OVERSEE THE VELOPMENT OF NEW PRODUCTS LIKE CLIPS, AN APP THAT ENABLED THE CREATN OF SHORT VIOS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. A FEW MONTHS AFTER S SPRG 2017 BUT, APPLE UNVEILED THE IPHONE X, WHICH GENERATED BUZZ THE TECH WORLD FOR S FACIAL REGNN SYSTEM.ALONG THE WAY, THE PANY TRODUCED THE APPLE NEWS APP TO GIVE ERS ACCS TO ARTICL OM A WI RANGE OF SOURC. IN JUNE 2018, APPLE UNVEILED A 2018 MIDTERM ELECTNS SECTN, WHICH PROMISED TO DRAW CURATED NTENT OM LEGIMATE S AS WELL AS EXCLIV LIKE THE WASHGTON POST'S ELECTN NOW DASHBOARD THROUGH NOVEMBER. ADDRSG THE ISSUE OF WHY HE FELT THE NEED TO FUNNEL NEWS TO ERS THAT MANNER, COOK SAID, "FOR APPLE NEWS, WE FELT TOP STORI SHOULD BE SELECTED BY HUMANS, NOT TO BE POLIL AT ALL BUT ... TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT PICKG NTENT THAT STRICTLY HAS THE GOAL OF ENRAGG PEOPLE."TAX RAT AND OTHER CONTROVERSIDURG HIS TIME AS APPLE CEO, COOK FACED MOUNTG QUTNS ABOUT THE PANY'S STRATEGY OF STORG E OVERSEAS. IN A 2013 HEARG BEFORE THE SENATE, COOK REJECTED THE NOTN THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTG TO BYPASS U.S. TAX LAWS, NOTG THAT APPLE WAS PAYG ONE OF THE HIGHT EFFECTIVE TAX RAT OF ANY MAJOR RPORATN.THE LEAK OF THE "PARADISE PAPERS" NOVEMBER 2017 OFFERED NEW REVELATNS OF THE TAX PRACTIC OF APPLE: IN 2014, AFTER THE EUROPEAN UNN LNCHED AN VTIGATN TO APPLE'S ARRANGEMENT WH THE IRISH ERNMENT, WH THE PANY PAYG A TAX RATE AS LOW AS 0.005% ON S EXTENSIVE HOLDGS THE UNTRY, APPLE TRANSFERRED S ASSETS TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS OFF NORMANDY. THE EU LATER ORRED APPLE TO HAND OVER APPROXIMATELY $14.5 BILLN UNPAID TAX.AFTER THE PARADISE PAPERS SURFACED, THE PANY RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT READ: "APPLE BELIEV EVERY PANY HAS A RPONSIBILY TO PAY S TAX, AND AS THE LARGT TAXPAYER THE WORLD, APPLE PAYS EVERY DOLLAR OW EVERY UNTRY AROUND THE WORLD."IN LATE DECEMBER 2017, APPLE WAS H WH MULTIPLE LAWSUS AFTER ADMTG TO TENTNALLY SLOWG THE PERFORMANCE OF AGG IPHON. OSTENSIBLY DONE TO ADAPT TO DIMISHG BATTERI, THE PANY FACED CHARG THAT WAS CEIVG CTOMERS TO PAYG MORE FOR NEW MOLS.AROUND THAT TIME, WAS REVEALED THAT COOK HAD BEEN RMED HE ULD E ONLY PRIVATE JETS FOR BS AND PERSONAL TRANSPORT, " THE TERTS OF SECURY AND EFFICIENCY." THE CEO'S PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPENS FOR 2017 ADD UP TO $93,109, WHILE HIS PERSONAL SECURY EXPENS TOTALED $224,216.WORLD IMPACT AND SALARYIN NOVEMBER 2011, COOK WAS NAMED ONE OF FORB MAGAZE'S "WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE." ACRDG TO AN APRIL 2012 ARTICLE THE NEW YORK TIM, COOK WAS THE HIGHT-PAID CEO AMONG LARGE PUBLICLY TRAD PANI 2012. WHILE HIS SALARY AT THE TIME AMOUNTED TO AROUND $900,000, COOK 2011 REPORTEDLY MA $378 LN TOTAL PENSATN OM STOCK AWARDS AND BON. IN 2015, HE ANNOUNCED THAT AFTER PAYG FOR HIS NEPHEW'S LLEGE TN, HE WOULD DONATE THE RT OF HIS FORTUNE TO PHILANTHROPIC PROJECTS. IN AUGT 2018, SHORTLY AFTER APPLE BEME THE FIRST AMERIN PUBLIC PANY TO REACH A VALUE OF $1 TRILLN, WAS REPORTED THAT COOK WAS SET TO LLECT APPROXIMATELY $120 LN STOCK. HE HAD RECEIVED A RTRICTED STOCK AWARD AFTER TAKG OVER THE CEO JOB 2011, MEETG THE THRHOLD THAT REQUIRED THE PANY'S STOCK TO OUTPERFORM THOSE OF TWO-THIRDS OF S&P 500 PANI OVER A PERD OF THREE YEARS.INVTG THE UNED STAT AND PHILANTHROPYIN EARLY 2018, APPLE PLEDGED TO VT $350 BILLN THE U.S. ENOMY AND ADD 20,000 NEW JOBS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AS PART OF THE PLAN, THE PANY MTED TO VTG $55 BILLN 2018 ALONE AND BUILD A NEW U.S. FACILY POWERED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY. ADDNALLY, APPLE SAID WOULD BOLSTER S ADVANCED MANUFACTURG FUND AND EXPAND S DG IATIV, SIGNED TO HELP STUNTS AND TEACHERS LEARN VALUABLE PUTG SKILLS. IN EARLY FEBARY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTED THAT APPLE MIC HAD BEEN CREASG S MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTNS THE U.S. MARKET AT MORE THAN DOUBLE THE RATE OF SPOTIFY, LEAVG APPLE ON TRACK TO PASS S RIVAL BY SUMMERTIME. HOWEVER, SPOTIFY WAS STILL WELL AHEAD WORLDWI, WH 70 LN PAYG SUBSCRIBERS TO APPLE'S 36 LN AS OF JANUARY 2018.IN MARCH 2020, FOLLOWG THE OUTBREAK OF THE RONAVIS, APPLE ANNOUNCED THAT THE PANY HAD DONATED $15 LN TO RELIEF EFFORTS AROUND THE WORLD. A FEW WEEKS LATER, COOK REVEALED THAT APPLE HAD BEGUN PRODUCG FACE SHIELDS AND PLANNED TO SHIP LNS OF THEM TO MEDIL WORKERS THE WEEKS TO E.PERSONAL LIFEIN OCTOBER 2014, COOK NFIRMED AN OPN PIECE HE WROTE FOR BLOOMBERG BSWEEK THAT HE IS GAY. “WHILE I HAVE NEVER NIED MY SEXUALY, I HAVEN’T PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED EHER, UNTIL NOW,” HE WROTE. “SO LET ME BE CLEAR: I’M PROUD TO BE GAY, AND I NSIR BEG GAY AMONG THE GREATT GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN ME.”COOK ALSO WROTE THAT HE IS SPIRED BY THE WORDS OF DR. MART LUTHER KG JR.: “LIFE’S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUTN IS, ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOG FOR OTHERS?’" HE EXPLAED THAT HIS CISN TO PUT HIS PERSONAL PRIVACY ASI AND MAKE HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN PUBLIC WAS AN IMPORTANT STEP ADVOTG FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUALY FOR ALL. “I DON’T NSIR MYSELF AN ACTIVIST, BUT I REALIZE HOW MUCH I’VE BENEFED OM THE SACRIFICE OF OTHERS,” HE WROTE THE OP-ED PIECE. “SO IF HEARG THAT THE CEO OF APPLE IS GAY N HELP SOMEONE STGGLG TO E TO TERMS WH WHO HE OR SHE IS, OR BRG FORT TO ANYONE WHO FEELS ALONE, OR SPIRE PEOPLE TO SIST ON THEIR EQUALY, THEN ’S WORTH THE TRA-OFF WH MY OWN PRIVACY.”IN OCTOBER 2019, WAS REPORTED THAT COOK HAD BEEN APPOTED CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR TSGHUA UNIVERSY'S ENOMICS SCHOOL BEIJG, {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS

The hard l around “g out” — tradnally the procs by which someone tells the world for the first time that one is gay — have been erod by the openns of the prs, and the relaxg of stigmas around homosexualy have ma far ls taboo to wre about a person’s sexualy before their explic say-so. This is the first time Cook has spoken so openly about beg gay; that has hardly stopped the prs om, whout evint malice or homophobia, cludg him on an Out power list of gay celebri or, at the time of his appotment as Steve Jobs’ replacement, llg him “the most powerful gay man Ameri. ” Though the mastream prs has been more reticent, wh a New York Tim article this May askg where the openly gay CEOs were, some segments of the prs vered Cook’s sexualy as they would his race or genr, as an unremarkable fact about him.

“Beg gay has given me a eper unrstandg of what means to be the mory and provid a wdow to the challeng that people other mory groups al wh every day, ” wr Cook.

” But ’s a sign of how much society has changed even sce 2012 that Cook is fally able to prent the somewhat revolutnary ia that beg gay is not jt the same as beg straight — that is not a simple aspect of one’s makp.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK: "I’M PROUD TO BE GAY"

Apple CEO Tim Cook tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour why he was spired to e out as gay after seeg people bullied onle for their sexual orientatn. Photograph by Xhua News Agency via RxOn Thursday morng, the head of one of the world’s most admired pani, Tim Cook, of Apple, announced that he is gay. As he put a piece for Bloomberg BsWeek, “While I have never nied my sexualy, I haven’t publicly acknowledged eher, until now, ” addg potedly and poignantly, “So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I nsir beg gay among the greatt gifts God has given me.

’s announcement is one of many signs that gay rights is no longer an tomatic wedge issue Amerin culture and polics. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court cled to review appellate urt lgs that overturned gay-marriage bans, a move that brought marriage equaly to more than a dozen new stat. But, historilly, an tense news foc on gay rights and same-sex marriage has ually been followed by some sort of backlash, often felt durg natnal electns.

Bh won reëlectn at least part bee his polil operativ drew nservative voters to the polls swg stat by placg gay marriage on the ballot the form of state nstutnal amendments. Further back, Print Bill Clton, durg his 1996 reëlectn mpaign, was so worried about beg portrayed as favorg marriage rights for gays that he signed the Republin-sponsored Defense of Marriage Act.

APPLE CEO TIM COOK: 'I'M PROUD TO BE GAY'

) That same year, his opponent, Senator Bob Dole, returned a ntributn om a gay Republin group bee he did not want to be seen as lked to s agenda. And, 2008, then Senator Barack Obama walked back his prev support for marriage equaly orr to n for Print as a ndidate opposed to gay marriage.

Apple CEO Tim Cook out: 'I'm proud to be gay'

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TIM COOK: BEG GAY IS GOD’S GREATT GIFT TO ME

WATCH TIM COOK EXPLA WHY HE CAME OUT AS GAY