CNBC Panel Goes Awkwardly Silent When Host ‘Outs’ Apple’s Tim Cook as Gay

CNBC Panel Goes Awkwardly Silent When Host ‘Outs’ Apple CEO as Gay (Mediaite)

Things got a bit awkward for CNBC’s Squawk on the Street when one of the show’s co-hosts accidentally “outed” Apple CEO Tim Cook as being gay.

New York Times columnist James R. Stewartjoined the panel to discuss his latest piece profilingJohn Browne, the former CEO of BP, and his “tortured life” living as the gay chief executive of a Fortune 500 company. “You’d think CEOs especially are measured by objective criteria, financial performance,” Stewart said, and yet there’s a corporate culture that prevents powerful gay men from going public.

“There are gay CEOs in major companies, and I reached out to many of them,” he informed the hosts. “I got an extremely cool reception, not one would allow to be named at all.”

Enter co-host Simon Hobbs: “I think Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact he’s gay at the head of Apple, isn’t he?”

Silence from the panel. Everyone turned to look at Stewart, who responded, “Hmm, no.”