Since 2011, Apple has been led to its prime by Steve Jobs's successor Tim Cook, who has been running the company even before Jobs passed away.
He is a key figure to the growth the company has seen in the past years, from being close to bankruptcy, to becoming one of the largest multi-billion dollar companies in the world.
Today, as Cook celebrates 62 years of his life, here are five facts you might not know about Apple's seventh CEO:
1. Cook Worked For Apple's Competitor IBN
Benzinga writes that after finishing his degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University, one of Cook's first jobs was at IBM, a company in competition with Apple.
In IBM, he became the company's fulfillment director for the North American division, and was managing manufacturing and distribution.
Cook worked at IBM for 12 years before joining Apple in 1998, when the company was having huge financial troubles.
2. He Is Outspoken And Politically Engaged
According to Apple Insider, the Apple CEO spends a lot of time speaking publicly about his plans for the company, and about politically charged issues.
At the height of the pandemic, when the violence against Asian Americans was increasing, Cook tweeted that the community should unite to fight racism in all its forms.
Aside from being vocal about racial equality, Cook is also an adamant supporter of the carbon-neutral economy, about which he spoke about at the UN Climate Ambition Summit.
3. The CEO Has An Investment Outside Apple
Cook came to the tech company while it was on the verge of bankruptcy, and this investment proved to be a smart one when Apple became one of the most influential companies globally.
However, Cook's attention is not only with his investment on Apple because the CEO also invested personally on a prototype shower head.
In 2015, he invested in the company producing these prototypes called Nebia, and is allegedly interested in advising it as well.
4. An MS Misdiagnosis Led Him To Philanthropy
Cook recalls that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996, but this ended up as a wrong diagnosis which led him to take better care of himself, Benzinga says.
Apple's chief executive now regularly donates significant sums of money to charities, specifically to multiple sclerosis events and organizations associated with the disease.
While he remains the face of the company at the moment, Cook continues to venture in personal causes like helping charities, and planning for his nephew's education.
5. Cook Is Apple's Openly Gay CEO
In 2014, Cook came out as gay in order to help those struggling to come to terms with their identity be comfortable with who they are.
According to Apple Insider, he wanted to be open about it to inspire people to insist on equality, even if he does not consider himself as an activist for gay rights.
Benzinga reports that Cook, in a piece written by Bloomberg, even said that after denying his sexuality for a long time, he can now say that it is the greatest gift God has given him.
