Apple Inc CEO, Tim Cook, 53, revealed today October 30th that he is gay. Tim, who became CEO when he succeeded Steve Jobs on August 24th 2011, has never discussed his sexual preference in public before today but said that many of his colleagues knew he was gay.
Tim, who is worth an estimated $500million, came out as gay in an editorial for Bloomberg Business Week, stating: “Let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me”. See what he wrote below.
Tim Cook writes for Business Week
Throughout my professional life, Iโve tried to maintain a basic level of privacy. I come from humble roots, and I donโt seek to draw attention to myself. Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them.
At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: โLifeโs most persistent and urgent question is, โWhat are you doing for others?โโโ I often challenge myself with that question, and Iโve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. Thatโs what has led me to today.
For years, Iโve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know Iโm gay, and it doesnโt seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, Iโve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace peopleโs differences. Not everyone is so lucky.
While I have never denied my sexuality, I havenโt publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: Iโm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.
Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. Itโs made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. Itโs been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. Itโs also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when youโre the CEO of Apple.
The world has changed so much since I was a kid. America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have bravely come out have helped change perceptions and made our culture more tolerant. Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation. There are many places where landlords can evict tenants for being gay, or where we can be barred from visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies. Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation.
I donโt consider myself an activist, but I realize how much Iโve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then itโs worth the trade-off with my own privacy.
Iโll admit that this wasnโt an easy choice. Privacy remains important to me, and Iโd like to hold on to a small amount of it. Iโve made Apple my lifeโs work, and I will continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the best CEO I can be. Thatโs what our employees deserveโand our customers, developers, shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too. Part of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only by oneโs sexuality, race, or gender. Iโm an engineer, an uncle, a nature lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many other things. I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the things Iโm best suited for and the work that brings me joy.
The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and equality for all. Weโve taken a strong stand in support of a workplace equality bill before Congress, just as we stood for marriage equality in our home state of California. And we spoke up in Arizona when that stateโs legislature passed a discriminatory bill targeting the gay community. Weโll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same. A
nd I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.
When I arrive in my office each morning, Iโm greeted by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. I donโt pretend that writing this puts me in their league. All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that Iโm doing my part, however small, to help others. We pave the sunlit path toward justice together, brick by brick. This is my brick.
Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple
