Bill Gates retires from Microsoft

In the office.
And on the beach

The web magazine for top managers - who's promoted, who came, who left? And what to do when you're not in the office.

June 27, 2008, Redmond, Wa., USA - William (Bill) H. Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corporation, will step down from day-to-day role in the company, effective June 27. Mr. Gates will remain chairman and will be an advisor on key development projects.

Mr. Gates attended public elementary school, the private Lakeside School, and in 1973 entered Harvard University. While at Harvard, Mr. Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer, the MITS Altair. Mr. Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975 with his Paul Allen. In 1999, Mr. Gates wrote Business @ the Speed of Thought, a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in fundamentally new ways. Mr. Gates' previous book, The Road Ahead, published in 1995, held the No. 1 spot on the New York Times' bestseller list for seven weeks. Mr. Gates has donated the proceeds of both books to non-profit organizations that support the use of technology in education and skills development.

Mr. Gates founded Corbis, a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections around the globe. Mr. Gates is also a member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities. With his wife, Melinda, Mr. Gates have endowed a foundation to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available for all people.

The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect. Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer.

Post to: