Bill Gates leaving daily role at Microsoft

CNBC breaking news

[HAL9000]

CNBC announcing - After July 2008, Bill Gates shall leave his daily role at Microsoft, but will remain as company chairman.

[vox_freedom]

Ballmer looks scared.

I'm quite surprised Ballmer didn't leave ahead of Gates.

[Cementjungle]

Worse....he thinks he can save the world by throwing his money at problems.

In all fairness, he has done and continues to do a lot of good with his money, and in smart ways.

I have been working with a charity group based in Senegal for years (http://tostan.org) and am friends with the director. She has always had very favorable things to say about Bill and Melinda, who have helped support this cause.

[Cementjungle]

Code word, he is going to retire...

If I was worth close to $100 billion I sure as heck wouldn't be working either!

[HAL9000]

Microsoft press release - Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates

[Echo Talon]

I would have retired a LONG time ago!

[Williams]

I'm certainly more than impressed by what Gates accomplished. I also know that people who know a bit about computers and software tend to hate his products and say the Microsoft codes are badly written and full of junk from earlier versions that weight them down.

However, I also gave up on more expensive Macs and I am generally happy running computers on Windows XP.

[vox_freedom]

This could be bad - he may be deciding to go into politics...

Ain't no way Bill the IIIrd is getting into politics. He has no stomach for it, doesn't need it to promote influence (his $$$ can do that), and he has no personality for the rough and tumble political world.
Look for him and his wife to get more involved in the Foundation's children health intitiatives and putting support into other health issues (cancer cures, AIDS for examples).

[antiRepublicrat]

How long until we see a "oil for food" type ripoff?

How does the equation go?

• If you spend your money on you, you get the best value for the best quality.
• If you spend your money on someone else, you get the best value, and quality suffers.
• If you spend someone else's money on you, get the best quality, regardless of value.
• If you spend someone else's money on someone else, you don't worry about value or quality.

Gates will be spending his own money on others, so he has an incentive to make sure it doesn't get wasted, unlike the UN, which had no incentive for anything except itself.

[edpc]

In all fairness.....few project directors say bad things about their benefactors.

[reagan_fanatic]

This could be bad - he may be deciding to go into politics...

If he locks up during a campaign speech, do you just re-boot him?

[sinkspur]

Who cares what his politics are - this man has been a credit to the USA, free market minded people, and needy people.

God bless you Bill Gates - and good luck to you.

I agree. Gates has created more jobs and wealth than any single living human being.

[antiRepublicrat]

How about a little respect paid to a man who literally has helped change the world.

Yep, thanks to him computer crashes barely phase us anymore. :)

[edpc]

OK....but it kind of goes against bullet point 2.

[antiRepublicrat]

OK....but it kind of goes against bullet point 2.

It was a long way of saying Gates will not want his money wasted, unlike the UN.

[old-ager]

With absolutely all due respect, and I mean it,

> no personality for the rough and tumble political world

right, unless he could be king!

I do hope he eventually gets a conservative clue in his old age. I think he will be bitter in 20 years after pi$$ing his money away around the world ... hope I am wrong.

[ShandaLear]

It's his money, he can do what he wants with it.

[Clock King]

Why do smart men marry liberal women?

[edpc]

Thanks for clearing it up. Whether it is his, mine, or your money....it alone has not solved anything. See the Great Society for reference.

[stephenjohnbanker]

I dunno. My dad did. I didn't/wouldn't. : )

[Spktyr]

On a related note, his replacement will be Microsoft Chief Software Architect 2.0. How long until:

1) There's a serious exploit allowing others to take over the system?
2) A massive security hole in CSA 2.0 is revealed?
3) The first, second, and third service packs for CSA 2.0 are released?
4) They reach Hotfix 5000 for CSA 2.0?
5) Microsoft gets into trouble for demanding everyone bundle CSA 2.0 with any project?