First American Company to Reach $1 Trillion Value Run by Gay Man

Can we finally put the debate over iPhones and Androids to rest?

America's first public company to reach $1 trillion in value is none other than Apple. According to CNN, the tech company achieved this status on Thursday when stocks reached a new all-time high of $208.38, bringing the company up more than 20% this year. This is largely thanks to sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X in China and Japan, as well as revenue from the App Store.

Related | Tim Cook Gives Passionate Speech to LGBTQ Youth: "You Will Thrive"

This is also particularly historic for the LGBTQ community, being that it was reached under the operation of CEO Tim Cook. One of the richest gay executives in America, he took over as CEO in 2011, after Steve Jobs resigned and shortly before he passed away. Cook has used his platform on numerous ocassions to advocate for LGBTQ issues, recently addressing queer youth at the LoveLoud Festival in Salt Lake City:

"I stand before you tonight as an uncle, a sports nut, a CEO, a lover of the beautiful Utah outdoors, and a proud gay American. I've come to deliver a simple message that I want every LGBT person to hear and to believe: You are a gift to the world, a unique and special gift, just the way you are. Your life matters. To you, I say: find your truth. Speak your truth. Live your truth. Let me tell you, normal might just be the worst word ever created. We're not all supposed to be the same, feel the same or think the same, and there is nothing wrong with you. Now, I know that life can be dark and heavy, and sometimes it might seem unreasonable and unbearable. But just as night turns to day, know that darkness is always followed by light. You will feel more comfortable in your own skin, attitudes will change, life will get better, and you? You will thrive."