Tim Cook has publicly admitted he is gay.
Apple’s CEO says that he is “proud to be gay”.
Tim Cook, 53, made his announcement to try to help people struggling with their identity, he wrote in a Bloomberg article.
This week he challenged his home state of Alabama to ensure the rights of gay and transgender people.
Tim Cook says that he is proud to be gay (photo Twitter)
“I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others,” Tim Cook wrote.
“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,” he added.
Tim Cook said that he had been open about his s**uality with many people, including colleagues at Apple, but that it still “wasn’t an easy choice” to publicly announce his orientation.
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Apple has now unveiled the iPhone 5 in San Francisco.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, talking on the stage in San Francisco and beamed live to London, announced: “We’ve got some really cool stuff to show you, it’s an extraordinary time at Apple.”
The latest version of the iconic smartphone comes with a four-inch screen, an eight-megapixel camera which can take 28-megapixel panoramic shots, and is the thinnest iPhone yet, at just 7.6 mm.
All of which comes, for the first time, in a package made entirely in glass and aluminium.
Apple confirmed iPhone 5, available in black and white, has a four-inch display, – 1136×640 – which is the same width as previous models but taller.
It uses a new display which is 30 per cent thinner that previous handsets.
Phil Schiller, vice president of marketing, said: “It is designed to fit in the hand, and all of our software is being updated to take advantage of this display.”
The handset also has a new chip, the Apple A6, which is twice as fast as previous versions but 22% smaller.
iPhone 5 is expected to be the biggest selling in Apple’s history, with an estimated 8 million set to be sold according to some estimates.
The battle for domination of the mobile market has become increasingly heated recently with Apple’s competitors taking it on with a series of new products.
iPhone 5 will cost the same price as the iPhone 4S, $199 to $399 depending on size
The firm boasted the new handset has eight hours of 3G talk time, and a 225 hour standby time.
It also has an eight megapixel camera with a 3264×2448 sensor, and has improved its performance in low light, and a lens made from sapphire crystal.
The handset also now has a panorama mode to create wide shots.
“The ocean looks bluer, kids look happier,” joked Phil Schiller.
Phil Schiller also confirmed the handset has a controversial new connector.
“The iPhone from its start used the 30 pin connector, and it has served us well. A lot has changed and it is time for the connector to evolve – and out new connector is called Lightning.”
Apple also showed off a connector allowing people to use their existing chargers and accessories.
The handset will use iOS 6, and dumps Google’s maps for Apple’s own.
“We’ve built in free turn by turn directions,” said Scott Forstall of Apple as he demonstrated the new Apple Maps app.
“We use a cinematic camera angle to fly you around corners.”
Apple also showed off a 3D flyover feature allowing people to virtually fly over an area, and showed off the software “flying” over Big Ben in London.
A new app called Passbook also allows people to collect store cards, tickets and other information in a single app.
It can be used to show boarding passes on planes and for entry to concerts and sports games that support the codes.
Users can also share photo albums easily, and Apple’s speech recognition software Siri has been updated to give people sports scores, and even book restaurants.
Facebook has also been integrated into the service, allowing people to update their status via speech.
The handset will cost the same price as the iPhone 4S, $199 to $399 depending on size.
It will begin shipping on September 21st in US, Canada and several other countries, and customers can pre-order from this Friday.
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, has turned down a payout worth about $75 million.
Apple will pay a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share from July, the first time the technology giant has declared a dividend since 1995.
But a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Tim Cook will not take up his dividends.
A newspaper recently said that Tim Cook was the best-paid boss in the US with an income of more than $300 million.
“At Mr. Cook’s request, none of his restricted stock units will participate in dividend equivalents,” the filing said. It did not say why.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Tim Cook made $378 million last year, most of which came from a grant of one million shares awarded.
His base salary is $900,000. His predecessor, Steve Jobs, famously had an annual salary of $1.
A regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Tim Cook will not take up his Apple dividends
Earlier this week, Apple’s lead designer Jonathan Ive was knighted.
The Briton – responsible for the designs behind iconic products like Apple’s iPod, iPhone and iPad – also reaffirmed his desire to stay at the company.
Since the death of Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder and figurehead, many have speculated that the company might struggle to maintain its reputation for innovative products and would face an exodus of top talent.
That has not happened yet as Apple has sought to lock in people like Tim Cook and Sir Jonathan Ive through long-term stock options.
Apple has about $110 billion in cash. In March, the tech giant said it would use its cash to start paying a dividend to shareholders and to buy back some of its shares.
It expects to use $45 billion over the next three years.
Earlier this year, Apple’s shares touched a high of $644, surpassing $600 billion in market value and making the company the world’s most valuable firm.
Since then, Apple shares have dropped to $562 each, making the company worth $525 billion.
