Apple chief executive Tim Cook revealed that he is "proud to be gay" in Bloomberg Businessweek.

"While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook said.

Many in Apple knew about his sexual orientation, but it was the first official announcement by the CEO. With that, he became the first Fortune 500 chief executive to come out publicly.

By Um Yoon-sun (uys@heraldcorp.com)