How many of you can call yourself the man responsible for overlooking the innovation and production of the latest popular iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watchs, and other Apple-branded exclusive products?

Only one—he is the American business executive and industrial engineer, Tim Cook.

In addition, the Mobile native also has another crucial identity in his sleeves that makes him an inspiring figure for many who are still in the closet.

Yes, the 62-year-old CEO of Apple is a  proud gay man and perhaps the most powerful gay man in tech.

And he does not feel different regarding himself as gay. However, he prefers to keep his personal life confined.

Read the full article to learn about the most asked questions about Tim's Cook sexuality, his coming out story, his boyfriend's queries, and his career & net worth in brief. 

How did Tim Cook Come Out as Gay?

Back in 2008, Valleywag's editor Owen Thomas wrote a piece titled 'Is Apple COO Tim Cook gay?' and speculated about the tech boss' sexuality, according to Pink News.

Thomas had based the piece on the previous reporting of Adam Lashinsky in Fortune magazine about Cook, describing the top tec exec as a "rumormonger."

 Thomas wrote, 

When he isn’t working he tends to be in the gym, on a hiking trail, or riding his bike.” Come on. What is this — a Fortune profile, or a men-seeking-men personals ad in Craigslist?

In regards to his personal life, Lashinsky had described Cook as a lifelong bachelor who was “a blank slate” and “intensely private," according to NeimanLab. 

However, till 2011, no one had any substantiative facts to deem Cook as gay. That year, he was finally outed by Ryan Tate on Gawker in a piece titled, 'Meet Apple's New Boss, The Most Powerful Gay Man in Silicon Valley.'

In the piece, Tate wrote that "two well-placed sources" confirmed that Cook was gay and top Apple executives had said that they would support him if he outed himself.  

In 2013, a CNBC anchor took Cook's name during an on-air discussion about gay CEOs. 

Later, Tim himself came out as gay writing in the magazine Bloomberg Businessweek in October 2014, verifying the gay rumors about him for years.

He stated his sexuality was one of the 'greatest gifts God has given him.' He also vocally advocated in support of same-sex marriage.

In addition, he linked his coming out to a bigger picture of helping others to come out. He wrote, 

I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve 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 it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy.

Note: Gawker Media founder Nick Denton shut down the magazine in the same year amidst stagnant traffic, which came from the magazine's niche audience who were reading the gossip about the tech business and tech figures. Hence, Thomas'piece couldn't be traced.

Will Tim Cook ever Marry? 

Although Tim Cook has accepted his sexuality as gay, he is yet to unveil his decision to get married. Back in August 2015, the former CEO of Cisco, John Chambers asked him about his thoughts on getting married.

In reply, Tim said that he couldn't talk about marriage much as it needs two partners to be in a relationship.

Does Tim Cook have a 'Husband' or a 'Boyfriend'?

Cook doesn't have a marital partner or a boyfriend as he likes to keep his personal life private. 

Till now, there have been any credible news reports regarding Cook dating anyone. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Tim Cook (@tim_cook.ap)

However, many gossip sites online have been stating that Cook once dated once-Google executive Benjamin Ling, who is the founder of Bling Capital.

However, the claim doesn't seem to have any substantiative basis.

Ling name came into the mix after Ryan Tate reported on his piece on Gawker that their tech executive source revealed that Cook was into Asian guys and another tech observer joked that Cook would pair with Ling. 

"[O]ur tech executive source claims Cook is into Asian guys, a tidbit that prompted another tech observer, with whom we shared the item, to propose some strategic matchmaking that would pair Cook with Google hotshot Ben Ling," Tate wrote.

Hence, it will be safe to say that Tim is either still in search of his perfect partner to establish a relationship amdist a busy career or he is hiding his relationship

Tim Cook's Career in Brief

The  Alabama native is the Chief Executive Officer of a popular American multinational technology company Apple Inc. Previously, Tim was the Chief Operating Officer of the company under its founder, late Steve Jobs.

Tim takes coding lessons to the students at Apple's Eaton Centre store in Toronto in January 2018. (Photo: Mobilesyrup.com)

Tim began his professional venture in the field of computer technology. He worked in IBM's Personal Computer business, where he later became the North American fulfillment director. After spending 12 years in the company,

Tim joined Intelligent Electronics being the chief operating officer of its Reseller Division in 1994.

Later, he was hired as vice president of corporate materials by the Compaq Computer Corporation in 1997. 

After serving for six months, Tim joined Apple and began to work in early 1998. He regards the decision to join Apple as the "most significant discovery so far in my life." 

Tim served in his first position as Senior Vice President for worldwide operations. He was promoted to lead operations in 2007 and was promoted to Chief Executive in 2009.

In 2011, he was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. after Steve resigned and became the board's chairman. He serves on the board after the death of Steve from cancer in 2011.

The Apple CEO was born on 1st November 1960 to parents Donald and Geraldine Cook. He is accompanied by two brothers in a family. He was enrolled in a degree of Master of Business Administration in 1988 from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

Tim is one of the high-profile personalities to announce publicly as gay. He also stated his relationship status in an event.

“I do. I think it's reasonable to own it as part of a diversified portfolio,” Cook told Andrew Ross Sorki, according to CNBC.

What is Tim Cook's Net Worth and Salary?

Tim Cook has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Forbes. 

In 2022, he received $3 million in annual base, which added up to his total compensation package of  $99.4 million which included bonus and stock awards. 

And if you didn't know, Cook asked for a pay cut in 2023  due to the recession and the board listened to him. He got a salary reduction of 40%. His compensation package for 2023 is $49 million. 

In 2021, he admitted to owning Bitcoin at The New York Tiimes DealBook Confrence. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Tim Cook (@tim_cook.ap)

Currently, he owns 3 million shares of the tech giant, Apple.