Tim Cook Outed on CNBC: Host Claims Apple CEO Is Openly Gay [Video]

First Posted: Jun 28, 2014 12:29 PM EDT

It was an awkward and embarrassing moment for CNBC co-host Simon Hobbs, who accidentally outed Apple CEO Tim Cook as homosexual on live on-air television.

Hobbs was among several co-hosts on CNBC's Friday show of 'Squawk on the Street' where New York Times columnist Jim Stewart appeared as they discussed an article he recently wrote, exploring the absence of openly gay CEOs. He started by talking about the former CEO of BP John Browne who was the first ever person from a Fortune 500 company to acknowledge publicly that he is gay. Stewart added that the corporate culture prevents these powerful gay men from going public about their sexuality.

Stewart went on by saying that CEOs are mostly measured by objective criteria, such as financial performance. He also said that he had reached out to a number of CEOs for their comments on his story and that he received 'an extremely cool reception' and not one of them would all their names to be released. It was at that point when Simon Hobbes made his statement about the Apple CEO.

He said that he thought Cook was fairly open about being gay. After a deafening silence filled the studio, Steward shook his head in disapproval and responded with a quick 'no.' While Hobbs tried to recover, his follow-up was not very helpful, saying he thought Tim Cook was open about it and then asking if that was an error.

After the incident, the panel continued discussing Stewart's article, but Stewart declined to comment on anybody 'who might or might not be' a homosexual. While the Apple chief delivered a public speech on gender discrimination last year and was called the most powerful LGBT person on Out's 2013 power list, Tim Cook has neither confirmed nor denied any speculation regarding his sexual orientation.

Watch the sequence below: