Apple CEO Tim Cook is following in the footsteps of other notable wealthy Americans, like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, by pledging to leave his nearly billion dollar (and climbing!)
fortune to charity:
To Cook, changing the world always has been higher on Apple’s agenda than making money. He plans to give away all his wealth, after providing for the college education of his 10-year-old nephew. There should be plenty left over to fund philanthropic projects. Cook’s net worth, based on his holdings of Apple stock, is currently about $120 million. He also holds restricted stock worth $665 million if it were to be fully vested. Cook says that he has already begun donating money quietly, but that he plans to take time to develop a systematic approach to philanthropy rather than simply writing checks.
Tim Cook has championed progressive causes, including Wall Street reform, immigration reform, human rights and privacy rights. While accepting an award from his home state of Alabama, he used the occasion to rip them on gay rights:
While being CEO allows Cook the luxury of swatting away unwanted questions, it also gives him a powerful platform to address a host of other issues—even if they aren’t directly related to Apple. In late October his home state inducted him into its Alabama Academy of Honor. It chose Cook to represent his class—which included University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and Sen. Jeff Sessions—as the sole speaker at the ceremony, a decision some came to regret. Cook moved quickly beyond platitudes and used the occasion to lambaste Alabama for its slowness to act on racial equality, on educational opportunity, and on equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. “This isn’t right,” he said. “It isn’t reflective of our values.”
Read more on Tim Cook, his values and his decision to "come out" in this
riveting interview with Fortune.com.