Bill Gates About to Retire from Microsoft?

[Zanzibar]

This article from the AP via Yahoo News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060615/ap_on_bi_ge/microsoft_gates;_ylt=AhNr5J5Ovtg9R_XVAwkg82KyBhIF; _ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--) talks about Bill Gates' shift away from his day-to-day role at Microsoft HQ:

Microsoft Corp. said after the bell Thursday that Chairman Bill Gates will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The company announced a two-year transition process to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities, and said that after July 2008 Gates would continue to serve as the company's chairman and an adviser on key development projects.
Did he jump, or was he pushed? ;)

Editor's Note - Thanks to Zeal for the same submission.

[51|RandoM]

He is already the richest man in the world. He has pretty much already "beat" the CEO game, is probably getting bored of MOTS.

[MasterEvilAce]

That's cool. I'd probably want to do something else at this point, too. And it's for charity and health, etc.

[Citizen Philip]

Maybe he can continue to do good with his ill-gotten monies. ;)

[tombofsoldier]

He's not exactley young, he created the largest software empire in the world and became the worlds richest man. Not a whole lot of other things to do with MS wouldn't you say?

[Zanzibar]

Love him or hate him, you've gotta respect him.

[Zeal]

Microsoft's stock actually went up after the announcement, so most people see it as a good thing.

[Parsifal]

The company announced a two-year transition process to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities
Jesus, it sounds like "We will need two years time to figure out how to run this company without Bill". I mean, it sounds like Bill personally runs half the company. Two years to transfer his daily responsibilities?

[Oddmaker]

He wasnt pushed.

[Captain Awesome]

Of course he's bored, the guy has more money than God.

[torrefaction]

Jesus, it sounds like "We will need two years time to figure out how to run this company without Bill". I mean, it sounds like Bill personally runs half the company. Two years to transfer his daily responsibilities?

The man had is hands in changing the direction of everything at Microsoft. He was also the Chief Software Architect, and probably a huge fount of knowledge there. They probably need him around mostly to ask questions, and ensure that the handoff for such a huge position, at such a huge company, goes as smoothly as possible.

Also, he probably wants to see Vista/Longhorn through.

[dimsumx]

Just cause he's moving his day-to-day responsibilities does not mean he's retiring from the company. He's still the chairman.

Somehow though, it's hard not to think that the charity foundation that he runs is some sort of big tax break for him....

[devicelimit]

I bet the people on the recieving end of the millions he gives away as part of his charity don't care if he get a tax break on it.

[torrefaction]

Just cause he's moving his day-to-day responsibilities does not mean he's retiring from the company. He's still the chairman.

Somehow though, it's hard not to think that the charity foundation that he runs is some sort of big tax break for him....

This is kind of an assholish thing to say.

He's donated almost 52% of his money over the years. Not to mention running the second largest charity in the world (Though the first largest is supposed to be a tax-avoidance shelter)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation

[dimsumx]

This is kind of an assholish thing to say.

He's donated almost 52% of his money over the years. Not to mention running the second largest charity in the world (Though the first largest is supposed to be a tax-avoidance shelter)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation

I'm not saying that what the foundation does isn't good, I'm just commenting that when someone has as much money as he does, that he's gotta be getting some breaks running a charity.

[ElectricMonk]

i was reading this transcript: http://www.pbs.org/nerds/transcript.html

apparently bill gates and paul allen developed the first basic interpreter for the altair pc (which was the first pc) and got it working without it ever being run on a computer before. this is what the altair looks like:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Altair8800.jpg

and bill claims he still has the source code for it memorized.

I don't know about you but I think that's pretty badass.

[screwtape]

Good for him. He does some incredible things with his wealth. I'm sure philanthropy is very rewarding for him and his wife. Good luck, Bill.

[ProfPuppet]

I've never understood the hatred of the guy, except perhaps jealousy of him pretty much living the American Dream. I hope he has more fun now.

[51|RandoM]

He needs personalized license plates:

IWIN

[Demo_Boy]

He didn't jump and he wasn't pushed. He just left.

[bKangy]

Bill Gates could probably pay you to jump if he wanted.

[Lutheran]

LOL there is no way in hell he was pushed , that would be a mistake and might not be possible with how rich that company is under his leadership. Everyone hates microsoft and BG but I thank GOD for them as the PC has brought me a lot of joy and Microsoft and Windows has been a huge if not incredibly frustrating part of it all. This guy likes to give his money away to , he is a good dude IMHO.

[Cha-Ka]

This is clearly the next phase in Bill's plan to attain sainthood before he dies.

[Cool AN]

Big Billy G probably just wants to lay back, get his slippers out, and buy the moon.

[TrackZero]

Maybe he can continue to do good with his ill-gotten monies. ;)

Like run the world's largest independant biotech group looking for cures to diaseases noone else is even bothering to? Yeah, he already does that. Considering most people just steal his software too, I hardly think what he has is ill-gotten.

[Brady]

I'm not saying that what the foundation does isn't good, I'm just commenting that when someone has as much money as he does, that he's gotta be getting some breaks running a charity.

Are you suggesting that donating more than half of your money is going to cost less than taxes?

[dimsumx]

Are you suggesting that donating more than half of your money is going to cost less than taxes?

When your tax bracket is pretty much close to 50%? Yes.

[motor]

Microsoft's stock actually went up after the announcement, so most people see it as a good thing.

That's because they all realize that with Bill gone they can finally fire that idiot Balmer.

[Sensei-X]

That's because they all realize that with Bill gone they can finally fire that idiot Balmer.

Actually I'm pretty sure before Bill leaves (assuming he does) he'll hand over the reigns to Steve Balmer. Balmer is a good friend of Bill and I doubt he'll be going anywhere but up in the company. Even though he tends to be a little, uh, over the edge.

[Mr.Green]

When your tax bracket is pretty much close to 50%? Yes.
I think it might be a little more complex than that.

[torrefaction]

When your tax bracket is pretty much close to 50%? Yes.

Shows a little lack of knowledge. After you earn $336,551, you are put into the 35% tax bracket. In a progressive tax system, he's only charged 35% on money made ABOVE 336,551. Any money below that is taxed at his respective bracket.

You're wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_bracket

[Zanzibar]

He needs personalized license plates:

IWIN

QFMFT/LMAO.

I was joking about the jumped/pushed thing, by the way.

[greenapple]

When your tax bracket is pretty much close to 50%? Yes.

Somebody obviously doesn't pay taxes or doesn't make charitable contributions, much.

Take the following simplified example:

Bill Gates makes $200. Assume an average tax rate of 50% (which is crazy, but whatever). Gates would have to pay $100 in taxes, pocketing the other $100.

Now, assume Gates makes the same $200, but donates $100 to charity. He gets to write-off the $100 leaving him with $100 in taxable income. He therefore pays $50 in taxes. He pockets $50. HE DID NOT MAKE MORE MONEY BY DONATING.

Basically, the write-off allowed Gate's to make a $100 donation for the cost of $50 out of his pocket (really from the government's pocket), but you generally don't come out ahead for donating.

Now, there's some crazy stuff that can happen with accounting practices and moving around profits and loses within a corporation, but you don't make money by giving it to charity. If Gates wanted to maximize his income, charity isn't going to lead him there.

[Jack B]

Somebody obviously doesn't pay taxes or doesn't make charitable contributions, much.

Take the following simplified example:

Bill Gates makes $200. Assume an average tax rate of 50% (which is crazy, but whatever). Gates would have to pay $100 in taxes, pocketing the other $100.

Now, assume Gates makes the same $200, but donates $100 to charity. He gets to write-off the $100 leaving him with $100 in taxable income. He therefore pays $50 in taxes. He pockets $50. HE DID NOT MAKE MORE MONEY BY DONATING.

Basically, the write-off allowed Gate's to make a $100 donation for the cost of $50 out of his pocket (really from the government's pocket), but you generally don't come out ahead for donating.

Now, there's some crazy stuff that can happen with accounting practices and moving around profits and loses within a corporation, but you don't make money by giving it to charity. If Gates wanted to maximize his income, charity isn't going to lead him there.

Thanks Greenapple,

Credits are different than deductions. If you get a deduction it still costs you money to donate, just less money... It's not free.

[Thenetcase]

Jesus, it sounds like "We will need two years time to figure out how to run this company without Bill". I mean, it sounds like Bill personally runs half the company. Two years to transfer his daily responsibilities?

You apparently have no idea how hard it is to phase out the person who founded your empire. It's not easy. Personally I think 2 years is kind of... short.

And no, he wasn't pushed. I don't think anyone could push Bill Gates away from anything if he didn't want them to. That coming from someone who's met the man.

-TNC-

[greenapple]

Thanks Greenapple,

Credits are different than deductions. If you get a deduction it still costs you money to donate, just less money... It's not free.

Basically, it's about giving the man credit where credit is due.

He's given away a vast amount of his income. So what if he had a lot more to give in the first place? I know I'm not donating anywhere even remotely CLOSE to the percentage he gives.

[Luagsch]

i by coincidence saw it live on tv (think it was nbc or something). besides it you could see the stock-curve of microsoft. felt like the futurama episode when you could see the realtime stock changes while gates was talking and naming the new responsables. (well it didn't change as much as in futurama...)

the fun thing actually is, that analysts, knewing there was a big anouncement on the way) thought that ballmer would leave and that's why stock went up so much this morning. the analysts weren't that "happy" when they heard that gates was leaving and ballmer will actually still stay at microsoft even when gates leaves.

(and now come the "hahaha "anal"ysts" commentaries...)

[Heretic Machine]

Good for him. I have a great deal of respect for Bill Gates. Let's hope he can have as much success in charity as he has in the business world.

[sTubbs]

This is clearly the next phase in Bill's plan to attain sainthood before he dies.I doubt that is his goal considering he is an atheist and thus has no belief in such things.

Yep, the richest man in the world and the greatest philanthropist of all time does not believe there is a god. Where is your god now?

Joking of course. (But he is an atheist.)

[Jack B]

Basically, it's about giving the man credit where credit is due.

He's given away a vast amount of his income. So what if he had a lot more to give in the first place? I know I'm not donating anywhere even remotely CLOSE to the percentage he gives.

To me, I'm most impressed when someone like Bill Gates or a professional athlete gives their "time".

Sure, they have lots of money, but many pro athletes for example volunteer more of their free time to charities than the average citizen.

Some are deserving of their negative reputations, but many deserve more respect. It's case by case...

It seems to me, that Bill and Melissa Gates really do care about the charity work they do. It's not just money. And there are plenty of people with money than donate neither time nor money...

Good for both of them. Maybe he can spend more time with his other work now.

[GreenIce]

I doubt that is his goal considering he is an atheist and thus has no belief in such things.

I am glad you pointed that out twice to foil his joke!

[Mason]

I'm not saying that what the foundation does isn't good, I'm just commenting that when someone has as much money as he does, that he's gotta be getting some breaks running a charity.
It isn't a break in any sense, Gates either gives ungodly sums to a charity or to the government. Charitable donations are deducted from your taxable income, so it isn't like it increases his net income, the government just doesn't get to tax what he donated. Like it or not, he's a genuinely philanthropic guy, and that deserves some regard.

Among the billionaires, most don't donate anywhere near Bill's rate. He's given away 37% of his wealth, and very few others are even in the double digits. Guys like Buffett who plan to give everything to charity when they die/retire shouldn't be ignored, of course, but building up philanthropic organizations throughout your career seems especially admirable.

Plus, if there was a dime to be made or saved in immediately giving to charity, Buffett would be doing it.

[Fubl]

Uhh the pros usually have to spend so many hours each year doing community services and outreach programs defined in there contracts even if its just an appearance somewhere.. Its usually a part of the collective bargaining agreement, it also makes the players more marketable even when they screw up.

[The Letter 3]

Considering the amazing work he's done with charity, I could care less if he stole any ideas in the past that helped him build Microsoft. Few other people, IMO, would have given away as much money as Gates if they had his position.

[greenapple]

Uhh the pros usually have to spend so many hours each year doing community services and outreach programs defined in there contracts even if its just an appearance somewhere.. Its usually a part of the collective bargaining agreement, it also makes the players more marketable even when they screw up.

I'm sorry, what pro sports team is Bill Gates on? What contract does he have to do community service?

The man is giving away HARD DOLLARS not just making appearances at hospitals on the side.

No contract is forcing him to do what he does, geez. Stop being so cynical.

[torrefaction]

No contract is forcing him to do what he does, geez. Stop being so cynical.

He was referring to the other persons post, who was talking about sports stars giving their time. See what happens when you reply without reading the thread? ;)

[DoubleUranium]

Don't forget that a lot of the wealth Gates is giving away he has already paid taxes on. The Gates Foundation does amazing work and I'm glad he's going to be putting more of his time into it.

[TrackZero]

To me, I'm most impressed when someone like Bill Gates or a professional athlete gives their "time".

Sure, they have lots of money, but many pro athletes for example volunteer more of their free time to charities than the average citizen.


True, but often people with "mad cash" don't need to go to work for 8 hours of the day to earn it, so they have more time to spend on volunteer charities in the first place.

[Heretic Machine]

It isn't a break in any sense, Gates either gives ungodly sums to a charity or to the government. Charitable donations are deducted from your taxable income, so it isn't like it increases his net income, the government just doesn't get to tax what he donated. Like it or not, he's a genuinely philanthropic guy, and that deserves some regard.

Among the billionaires, most don't donate anywhere near Bill's rate. He's given away 37% of his wealth, and very few others are even in the double digits. Guys like Buffett who plan to give everything to charity when they die/retire shouldn't be ignored, of course, but building up philanthropic organizations throughout your career seems especially admirable.

Plus, if there was a dime to be made or saved in immediately giving to charity, Buffett would be doing it.

Don't forget that Gates is going to be giving it all away once he's gone as well. I think he is supposed to be leaving his kids a few hundred thousand each, or something like that, but the vast majority of his enormous fortune will be going to charity.

[atariv8]

Maybe they bring in Steve Jobs.

[Mason]

Don't forget that Gates is going to be giving it all away once he's gone as well. I think he is supposed to be leaving his kids a few hundred thousand each, or something like that, but the vast majority of his enormous fortune will be going to charity.
Very true, but Buffett gets special note because whatever foundation is produced by his corpse will quite likely be rather larger than the current Gates foundation. So the fact that he's only donated about 1% of his wealth right now leads to a perhaps unfair comparison.

Not that I'm crazy about hanging onto wealth just for the hell of it, though. Buffett seems to regard philanthropy as an afterthought, while Gates has made it a central part of his life.

[Cha-Ka]

I am glad you pointed that out twice to foil his joke!

Actually, it was interesting to learn about Gates' atheism. It's probably the only thing I have in common with him other that being a caucasian born in the U.S.

But seriously, as much as I resent the MS dominion of earth I have to respect the guy for his success and his commitment to charity. I guess I'm just a tangled mess of conflicts and doubts. :o

[Phanto]

He don't need to be on top or in control right now, Microsoft have been running with his top officers for a while now he just said one or two hints to his worker or ddeveloper and thats it he don't get involved in projects at all, well at least thats what I think and know.

[LilAbner]

Just cause he's moving his day-to-day responsibilities does not mean he's retiring from the company. He's still the chairman.

Somehow though, it's hard not to think that the charity foundation that he runs is some sort of big tax break for him....

Assinine on so many levels. Chairmen with any public company for the most part do very little.

And tax break or not, I seriously doubt he's doing it for that reason. Gates and his wife are far more charitable than, say, the Waltons, who only gave $6,000 to their own company's charity last year.

[Novacaine]

I heard that he's going to appear on the ultimate fighter season 4 in the 155lbs. weight class, but that's just what I heard so I'm not sure if it's true.

[Metal Jesus]

You can be a Microsoft/Evil Empire hater, blah blah blah (I'm a Ubuntu linux user), but the guy is pretty cool for giving away BILLIONS when he really doesn't have too.

Sometimes I think he cares about the poor and unfortunate more than our own government.

/rant

[Crabby]

i was reading this transcript: http://www.pbs.org/nerds/transcript.html

apparently bill gates and paul allen developed the first basic interpreter for the altair pc (which was the first pc) and got it working without it ever being run on a computer before. this is what the altair looks like:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Altair8800.jpg

and bill claims he still has the source code for it memorized.

I don't know about you but I think that's pretty badass.

Someone needs to watch Pirates of Silicon Valley, I think. :D

[The Vidiot]

Of course he's bored, the guy has more money than God.
Having “more money than God”*is only boring if your only goal is to acquire more money. For other CEOs (>cough< Jobs >cough<) there are more-challenging goals.

[The Vidiot]

I'm not saying that what the foundation does isn't good, I'm just commenting that when someone has as much money as he does, that he's gotta be getting some breaks running a charity.

This comment strikes me as ignorant. Tell me, do you think these “breaks” he gets offset the billions he has given away? Seems like if he really just cared about himself, then he would simply hold on to his money.

[kid cabelgo]

Here's (http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-6084586.html?part=rss&tag=6084586&subj=news) a link to the emails sent by Ballmer and Gates to the employees at Microsoft:

[Rirath]

Someone needs to watch Pirates of Silicon Valley, I think. :D

I know there's some fiction mixed in there, but that edutainment movie was just plain awesome. Whenever I try to introduce computer history to the barely able to stay awake, can't understand the command prompt crowd, I use that movie. It's not 100%, but it's close enough to give them an idea.

[Serapth]

This "announcement" has basically been a foregone conclusion for close to a year now. This is more or less exactly why Microsoft bought Groove Networks. The head of Groove ( Ray Ozzie ) is the most respected person by Bill Gates and for the last year has been being groomed to take bills technical position.

FYI, Ray was the founder of Lotus Notes, who sold his company to IBM for an assload of money ( im guessing he is a billionare aswell ) back in the 90s. For people that deal with Notes now, keep in mind, the festering pile of shit it is now is frankly an IBM bloat issue. In its day, Notes was revolutionary.