Apple CEO Tim Cook Talks About Coming Out, Bullying on Late Show

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple who came out last year, made his first appearance on a late night talk show when he joined Stephen Colbert to talk about the company's new products, its plans for the future, and his own life.

In a touching moment during the interview, Colbert tied Cook's management style to his decision to come out and confirm the tech industry's biggest open secret.

Cook came out in 2014 in an essay published in Bloomberg Businessweek saying "being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."

"Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day," Cook wrote. "It's made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It's been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It's also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you're the CEO of Apple."

For years, Cook refused to talk about his sexuality saying it was a personal matter. An open secret in the tech industry, Cook never denied he is gay and was "outed" often by pundits and journalists alike who thought he was already out.

Since taking the reins of Apple, Cook has pushed for more involvement in social issues. Even while closeted, Cook lobbied for passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, marched in a pride parade with Apple employees, and opposed a "religious freedom" bill in Arizona. After coming out, Cook has continued to advocate for LGBT rights.

Shortly after Cook publicly came out, Colbert joked on his former show, the Colbert Report, that "as a corporate titan, this man should follow tradition and hide his sexuality in the Caymans."

Watch below for the segment on Cook's coming out. The full episode of the Late Show is available on CBS.com.