This still sound as surprises because the Apple Inc, is yet to released official statement about the allegation reported to their Boss Tim Cook.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has being accused and profiled several times for being “most powerful gay man in Silicon Valley”. On Friday 27th June 2014, CNBC’s programme “Squawk on the Street” discussion was based dealing with corporate culture and gay executives.
The discussion segment have New York Times columnist and CNBC contributor James Stewart, co-anchor Simon Hobbs and “Squawk” who anchor ”Carl Quintanilla” show on CNBC.
Stewart told “Squawk” anchor Carl Quintanilla that his most recent column focuses on former BP chief John Browne, who recently wrote a book dealing with the “tortured life” he led as a closeted gay CEO. Browne resigned from his post at the huge multinational oil and gas company in 2007 after being outed by a tabloid.
Stewart said he was surprised to learn that Browne is the first executive of a Fortune 500 or FTSE 100 company to publicly acknowledge that they are gay. The column explores why, in spite of civil rights advances, a stigma appears to exist at such high levels of business.
“I just found it very, very fascinating,” Stewart said. “Of course, there are gay CEOs in major companies, and I reached out to many them. I got an extremely cool reception — not one would allow to be named in the column.”
Then Hobbs jumped in.
“I think Tim Cook is open about the fact he’s gay at the head of Apple, isn’t he,” Hobbs asked. Following a stifling silence from the panel, and a disparaging shake of the head from Stewart, the anchor tried to recover. “Oh, dear, was that an error? I thought not.”
The irony of Hobbs’ ill-timed mistake was not lost on co-anchor David Faber, who said, “Wow, I think you just…yeah.”
Listening closely, Hobbs can be heard just under the prattle of his co-anchors trying to cover for the slip, saying, “I think he’s very open about it.”