Being gay is God's greatest gift to me – Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday declared that he is gay.

Speaking during an interview with CNN’s Christian Amanpour, Cook stated that being gay is God’s greatest gift to him and revealed getting a lot of feedback from kids who read about his sexual orientation.

He further stated that he likes to maintain a low profile and does not like to draw attention to himself since Apple is a closely watched company and wants the focus to be on their products.

"I was public because I started to receive stories from kids who read online that I was gay.

"I needed to do something for them. I learned what it was like to be a minority.

“The feeling of being in a minority gives you a level of empathy for other people who are not in the majority," he said.

In a separate essay for Businessweek, Cook explained that his desire for privacy had been holding him back from doing ‘something important.’

“At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ”

“I often challenge myself with that question, and I’ve come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. That’s what has led me to today.

He added: “For years, I’ve been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I’m gay, and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the way they treat me.

“Of course, I’ve had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people’s differences.

“Not everyone is so lucky,” he said.