A View on View :: Bill Gates "Retires"

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Bill Gates "Retires"

by Mark Evans on Thu 15 Jun 2006 02:35 PM AKDT | Permanent Link

So, Bill Gates is retiring to enjoy the bucolic life as Microsoft's chairman and "advisor" on key projects - albeit a couple years down the road. It's makes you wonder about his legacy as he ever so slowly walks away from the software giant he co-founded. in 1975 with Paul Allen. Should we look at Gates as an innovator, super-salesman or brilliant, but ruthless, strategist? You could make an argument Gates is under-appreciated because Microsoft has become the high-tech company people love to diss/dismiss, which is what happens when you're top dog for so long. If we want to "praise Caesar, not to buy him" (apologies for the Shakespeare mash-up), we should focus on how much he's able to accomplish next with this philanthropic work around the world with all his billions of dollars. Unlike a lot of young, super-successful high-tech executives, Gates has been an active philanthropist, who has focus on issues such as AIDS, tuberculosis and immunization.
Update: Business 2.0 has a column on why CEO Steve Ballmer should step down, citing his many "gaffes" and the stock's lacklustre performance.

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Re: Bill Gates "Retires"

by Anonymous on Thu 15 Jun 2006 07:57 PM EDT | Permanent Link

The funny thing is, Bill Gates' wealth is tied up in his stock with the company. Being that he is leaving, the company's stock is surely going to suffer a bit in value. The translation... his choice to leave will probably cost him a few billion.

I just can't imagine leaving a company and paying billions to do it. That is what he is essentially doing. Personally I think he is not wanting to go against Google in the years to come and is getting out while the gettin is good... either way you slice it, he appears to be pretty smart.

Re: Bill Gates "Retires"

by online stock trading on Tue 26 Feb 2008 03:01 PM EST | Permanent Link

It's not like Bill Gates can't afford to lose some billions. I appreciate him for his philanthropic nature and I'm sure he has helped a lot of people in need. Being a windows user I must say he could have done more for the industry. Having majority on a market doesn't mean you're the best. The operating system still has some serious problems and I know there are a lot of smart people working for Microsoft but the problems persist. Why is that?

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