Tim Cook, the leader of one of the world’s most valuable companies, is known for using his limelight to speak out publicly on important societal issues. Since taking the reins from Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO in 2011, Cook has remained a traditionally private leader. Here are lesser-known facts about the tech titan who bolstered Apple’s pro-LGBT stance and stretched its privacy to become the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Tim Cook Net Worth
Tim Cook is known as the workaholicCEO of one of the most successful technology companies in the world. With a total market value of 884 billion US dollars, Apple is considered the largest company in the world. Despite being widely recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the company’s CEO doesn’t get paid as well as executives at other mega-corporations.
On average, Cook receives an annual base salary of $3 million and approximately $9.3 million in incentive and other compensation. The tech exec has an estimated net worth of $600 million, which bodes well for Apple’s size and power with a modest pay program. In addition to his total Apple stock and options, Cook also makes his money from other sources such as stocks and options when he sits on Nike’s board of directors. However, Cook’s net worth is likely to be higher due to additional assets in his investment portfolio and any properties he owns that are not publicly available.
Tim Cook is a philanthropist who spends his wealth on charity. Though known to be a very private person who shuns the limelight and prefers philanthropy, the tech executive has donated millions of dollars in support of various human rights causes. In 2015, Cook joined the roster of many other dedicated wealthy philanthropists – such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet after announcing he would be donating his entire fortune to charity.
Is he gay, who is his partner or friend?
Apple is known to be among the top American companies for the acceptance of equality. As one of the leaders of one of the largest companies in the world, the Apple CEO is a prominent spokesperson on diversity and inclusion issues. He’s made headlines for speaking out on some of America’s most contentious policies.
Although many of his peers already knew he was gay, Cook was inspired by a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who confronted him with life’s most intractable and pressing question. “What do you do for others?” And therefore decided to do something “more important”.
Before Cook became gay, he spent some time thinking about the process, deciding what to say, how to say it, where to say it, and how to do it in a way that is progressing. As Cook faced those pivotal moments or decisions, he reached out to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and spoke to him multiple times. This was because the Apple CEO felt that Cooper, who became publicly known as gay in 2012, handled his announcement in a really elegant way.
The Apple CEO clarified his desire for privacy and opened up about his sexuality in an essay published by Bloomberg, which advocates for human rights and equality. In the 2014 editorial, Cook told the world that he is proudly gay and considers being gay one of God’s greatest gifts.
Explaining why he came out as gay, the Apple CEO explained that he thought the announcement could help someone come to terms with their true self, or bring comfort to a lonely person, or inspire people to insist on their equality.
Tim Cook sees his sexuality as central to his identity. For the tech exec, being gay has made him more empathetic about the world and led to a richer life. According to Cook, it has given him a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges people in other minority groups face every day.
As expected, exposing his personal life may have cost him his privacy, but Cook hasn’t regretted exposing his privacy. Since it meant giving many people a role model to look up to, it was worth the compromise with his privacy. Although Cook, who seeks a basic level of privacy, hasn’t said anything about a partner or boyfriend, there are unconfirmed suspicions that he has one.
A leader in a global company with more than Tim Cook, which employs 120,000 people worldwide, feels empowered to speak on important societal issues ranging from racial equality to protecting the environment, access to education and privacy to LGBT rights right hand.
Without a doubt, the executive suite remains extremely locked, with only a few high-ranking openly gay businessmen. In addition, there are many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers who still face discrimination at work. It’s not surprising, then, that Cook has been recognized for his advocacy for public causes, including serving the LGBT community.
While some see Cook’s announcement as historic and brave that he is setting an example for other people to help LGBTQ people, and LGBTQ youth in particular, thrive in society. The homophobic community certainly does not share the same perspective.