Apple CEO Tim Cook has admitted his sexual preference in front of the media for the first time, proudly revealing that he belongs to the third sex.

Cook, who is the top executive of one of the two most valuable tech companies in the world, broke his silence as he looks to help the fight against the discrimination of minorities.

"I'm proud to be gay. I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook said in an 800-word essay posted on Bloomberg Businessweek via CNET.com. "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. It's made me more empathetic."

For years, Cook's sexual orientation has been a big mystery to the media and the corporate world, but there was no lack of speculations about the Apple head's sexuality.

In his press release, Cook stressed that his colleagues at Apple have always been aware that he's gay and assured none of them treated him differently because of it.  

"Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I'm gay, and it doesn't seem to make a difference in the way they treat me," Cook wrote. "Of course, I've had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation and knows it can only flourish when you embrace people's differences. Not everyone is so lucky."

Cook admitted that he also had a fair share of disappointments and frustrations due to his sexual orientation. But still, he somehow managed to channel these as motivations to overcome any adversity along the way.   

"Being a gay has been a 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," Cook said on Thursday.