teve Jobs, the legendary founder of Apple, has given over day-to-day management of the company to Tim Cook, the new CEO of the technology giant. This makes him probably the most powerful gay man in technology. Considering the far-reaching effects of Apple’s brand, he may be the most powerful gay man in the country. Cook, who joined the company in 1998 and worked alongside Jobs for 13-years, was named CEO on August 25. Jobs had expressly advocated for Cook as his replacement. Cook had been working as the company’s chief operating officer, overseeing sales, operations and the supply chain. Jobs has faced recurring health issues that took him away from work. In a statement to the media, Apple’s board said they have complete confidence that Cook is the right person for the job: “Tim’s 13 years service to Apple has been marked by outstanding performance, and he has demonstrated remarkable talent and sound judgment in everything he does.” Cook has never publicly stated whether or not he is gay. But as word spread that he might be a possible replacement, rumors began to surface that he was in fact, homosexual. In a Gawker profile in January, it was reported that two “well-placed sources” “confirmed” that Cook is gay. Gawker’s Valleywag went so far as to say that “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.”Cook’s sexual orientation has been the topic of at least some discussion within the company. One tech executive who has spoken to multiple Apple management veterans about Cook was told executives there would support Cook if he publicly acknowledged his orientation, and even would encourage him to do so as he steps up his leadership role, but that they also had concerns about whether his coming out would impact the perception of the Apple brand,” the Valleywag item added.
Cook’s orientation increasingly seems to be considered a given in the media. In May, Out magazine named Cook as number 1 in its “Powerful 50” edition. Regardless of his personal sexual orientation, Cook heads what is widely acknowledged as one of the most gay-friendly companies in the country, one that not only has created a welcoming environment for its LGBT employees, but also has gone out of its way to cultivate LGBT consumers and keep its corporate to the ground about their concerns. It is rare for Apple, as a company, to get political. That said, the few times the company has, more often than not, they were firmly on our side. In 2008, the company donated $100,000 to the “No on 8” campaign. Apple officials said the donation was made because the company believes that “a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by sexual orientation.” Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to the partners of same-sex couples. In July, when Apple realized that anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family were exploiting the Christian Values Network – a link referral service for consumers that support religious charities that Apple had was a member of – the company dropped out.
Apple pulled its iTunes store out of CVN by month’s end. So, the question on the table is, why won’t Cook fess up to his sexual orientation (whatever that may be)? If he is gay, that certainly wouldn’t a minus at his company, in Silicon Valley or in the wider business world. When and if Cook does “officially” come out, that would propel him to the most powerful gay executive in tech, ahead of Lisa Brummel, Microsoft’s openly lesbian HR chief and Megan Smith, the former PlanetOut CEO now working as Google’s vice president of new business development. Nicholas Jackson, a writer for The Atlantic, says Cook needs to come out to own his sexuality before he can be crowned “the most powerful gay man in tech. He won’t be a role model for the LGBT community until he confirms the rumors and comes out of the glass closet he is assumed to be living in,” wrote Jackson. The one reason usually cited for Cook’s reluctance is that he is an intensely private man.
“Tim’s just not a real social person,” Gina Glosk, a classmate of Cook’s at Auburn, told CNN Money. “He’s not antisocial, either. He just never seemed that interested in other people.” Even so the operational genius is going to find that heading America’s most innovative large company — a company that is running neck and neck with Exxon Mobile as having the highest market valuation — will put his life in the public Cook is known for improving profit margins and for being strong with supply chain management. Whenever Jobs was forced to take a medical leave, Cook stepped in as CEO. During each stint, the company performed well and sometimes even flourished. Most analysts have predicted that the company has enough products in the pipeline to keep Apple in the forefront of product development for at least the next few years. The real question is whether Cook will be able to impart the same mojo that turned Apple from a tiny computer company into a multifaceted global powerhouse.
By Shaun Knittel
Shaun Knittel is an openly gay journalist and public affairs specialist living in Seattle. His work as a photographer, columnist, and reporter has appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the Pacific Northwest. In addition to writing for EDGE, Knittel is the current Associate Editor for Seattle Gay News.
