Tim Cook

Tim Cook is openly gay. He is a solitary person and does not like to give interviews. A fitness enthusiast, he enjoys cycling and working out at the gym.

Timothy Donald "Tim" Cook was born on November 1, 1960, in the small town of Robertsdale, Alabama, United States. His father, Donald, was a shipyard worker while his mother Geraldine worked at a pharmacy. He has two brothers.

He went to the Robertsdale High School following which he enrolled at the Auburn University from where he earned a B.S. degree in industrial engineering in 1982.

Tim Cook found a job with the computer manufacturer International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) shortly after his graduation. He had always wanted to work in the field of computer technology and this job was dream come true for the young graduate.

Over the course of his career he also furthered his education from the Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1988. A brilliant student, he earned the title of Fuqua Scholar, an honor given to those students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class.

He rose through the ranks steadily at IBM and by 1994 had become the company’s North American Fulfillment director, managing manufacturing and distribution functions for IBM's Personal Computer Company in both North and Latin America.

After a 12-year long career at IBM, Cook moved to Intelligent Electronics as a chief operating officer (Reseller Division) in 1994. He worked there for three years before accepting an appointment at Compaq Computer Corporation as vice president of corporate materials.

He had been at Compaq for just a few months when he was called for an interview by Apple Inc’s CEO, Steve Jobs. Apple was struggling in the late 1990s and Cook’s friends and well-wishers advised him against accepting the appointment. However, Cook was highly impressed by Steve Jobs’ vision for the company and decided to join Apple.

Tim Cook joined Apple Inc at a time when the company was struggling to survive. Within a year of his joining the company started registering profits and over the years became one of the world’s largest information technology companies by revenue. Cook, along with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, is credited to have played a major role in the company’s resurrection.