Goodbye, Good Luck, See Ya Next Week
BusinessWeek - June 26, 2008
BusinessWeek talks to Bill Gates as his “final” day at Microsoft approaches
by Jay Greene
It’s been one of the most carefully orchestrated transitions in corporate history. Microsoft (MSFT) Chairman William H. Gates III announced two years ago he would walk away from his day-to-day duties at the company he co-founded to spend more time working on philanthropy. Since then, Gates and Microsoft Chief Executive Steven A. Ballmer have groomed those who will succeed Gates in developing the technology, strategy, and vision for Microsoft.
But for all the high-profile preparations, Gates isn’t leaving completely. While June 27 is his last official day as a Microsoft full-timer, Gates will continue to work there the equivalent of one day a week. Ever the geek, Gates, 52, will keep playing a key role in some of Microsoft’s biggest long-term technical bets. “The plaque is off the door, but the office is still partially occupied,” says analyst Charles Di Bona of Sanford C. Bernstein.
