Bill Gates dropping the day-to-day MSFT grind

by Christopher Grant { Jun 15th 2006 at 9:15PM }

Microsoft announced today that Bill Gates -- who's been steering the Microsoft ship for over 30 years -- will be transitioning out of Microsoft, beginning with leaving his day-to-day duties behind to concentrate on ~~playing more Xbox~~ his charitable foundation. Sure, Bill just went to his first E3, and he doesn't have a constant presence in Microsoft's relatively detached Xbox division, but we do know he fields at least five to ten e-mails a week on their gaming plans. I mean, that's gotta count for something.

While we're not sure if Sir Bill is a Joystiq reader (yeah, yeah, yeah, we know he reads Engadget), we'd like to think he stops by every once in a while. Maybe he even flames us in the comments (is that you Bill-ionaire360?). Now that he won't be burdened by the drudgery of the day-to-day, maybe he'll kill some time kicking it at Xbox HQ, or rocking Halo 3 at Bungie's new digs. No? Alright, we'll settle for just reading Joystiq daily. See you on XBL, Bill!

[Via Engadget]

Tags: Bill Gates, BillGates, Microsoft, MSFT

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ed V @ Jun 15th 2006 9:37PM

1ST!!! WOULD YOU ALL W0RK IF YOU HAD $50 BIL? I SURE AS WLD N0T!!!

jOEfRO @ Jun 15th 2006 9:49PM

the transition will take a while, two years to be exact to help out his successors

boots @ Jun 15th 2006 10:17PM

Yes, Bill Gates reads joystiq. His nickname is "kizza". ;)

Bill-ionaire360 @ Jun 15th 2006 10:18PM

I'm Rich Yo!

Gamer Jay @ Jun 15th 2006 10:28PM

Focusing on his foundation is a good excuse. The real reason that Bill is retiring is to chase 50 billion points in Geometry Wars.

Mr. Dude @ Jun 15th 2006 10:29PM

Well, with Microsoft stock prices decreases, and Google competition increases I think a change could greatly benefit the company. Besides, I'm sick of seeing that horrid haricut, and sweater for so long.

Jeramy @ Jun 15th 2006 10:32PM

ZOMG XBOX ND M$ STILL TEH SUXORZZ!!!!!

haha just kidding.

junkie @ Jun 15th 2006 10:41PM

Well, no one else has said it: Bill, thanks for everything. As much as I'm not a fan of Microsoft, I can honestly say I have trouble imagining a world without Windows and Xbox. Not only that, but his charity really does do some great things. Why do you think he and his wife were two thirds of Time's Persons of the Year for 2005?

freeappleproducts @ Jun 15th 2006 11:15PM

Great to see such a qualified individual taking over the helm. This guy was a main developer of Lotus Notes - groundbreaking corporate secure email / PIM software.

By the way, I spotted Phoenix Wright for less than $60 on half.com. First time in a while!

http://product.half.ebay.com/Phoenix-Wright-Ace-Attorney_W0QQprZ46506498QQtgZvidetailsQQitemZ12682008758

Bill Gates @ Jun 16th 2006 12:38AM

No im doing it so I can start playing my nintendo collection I know xbox has crappy games and the only thing good about it is halo and sony I hate them with a passion but nintendo is where its at so forget about buying a 360 or ps3 and buy the wii cause everyone knows its soo much better then my company and sony could ever come up with.

mirobin @ Jun 16th 2006 12:48AM

Well, I guess we now know what happened to J Allard ...

Hart704 @ Jun 16th 2006 1:52AM

Why are some people so concerned about Gates stepping down. It's not like he was ever anything but the owner anyway.

Andir @ Jun 16th 2006 3:44AM

@Hart704: Many analysts attribute some majorly questionable business practices to Bill's hand. When MS was on the rise, Bill was a major player in how the company acted. Lately he's taken a step back and let other's decide things and the "ethics" of the company has improved. It has also taken a hit on the market. If anything, the retirement of Bill will mean MS has become a standard overgrown corporation and will see a steady decline over the next few years due to lackluster performance. They can't keep expanding. MS will eventually level out with the rest of the big companies and then you'll see how well they actually do. There are still alot of unknowns, so my prediction is no more valuable than if you got it from your magic 8-ball.

ill trooper @ Jun 16th 2006 5:21AM

What's this? Did someone tell him "Steve Jobs is retiring" as an April Fool's Day joke?

SNAP!

Chris Norman @ Jun 16th 2006 10:33AM

Wouldn't it be more cost-efficient to outsource his position to India once he leaves?

bladestar @ Jun 16th 2006 10:37AM

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a net worth valued at approximately US$29 billion in 2006, is the largest charitable foundation in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_&_Melinda_Gates_Foundation

Is kind of funny how many anti-Microsoft/bill gates people out there. Accusing them of being an evil corporation that seek to exploit and destroy human civilization. But, when you go down to facts:

1) How much are you doing to help people?
2) How much is your sent-from-heaven corporation (Linux, Sony and Nintendo) doing for the people that need help?

This man is stepping back to concentrate more on helping while most of us are playing games or making money by making games. If we are not going to do the same or can't do the same the least we can do is have so respect for the man. You are probably are going to accuse the man of monopolizing charity and run an anti-trust scandal.

lunatech @ Jun 16th 2006 1:05PM

@ 15

How did this get modded negative? Oh that's right. The rating system here is tainted.

Like it or not, imagine life without your PC...it would suck. Bill had a hand in it. This is without even looking at his charity work.

It's easy to procure jabs at the most visible and wealthy. But unless you (those who negatively bash the man) have been vocal on your convictions ...god forbid, back it up with your own money, ...then talk is cheap. ..and isults are pennies.

zsavior @ Jun 16th 2006 3:59PM

Money really does rule all doesn't it. I guess if you give away billions and make trillions on other shaddy practices the masses will just ignore one and love the other. You think Bill Gates saved the PC world because he either paid off people, bought out companies or straight manipulated press into thinking differently. Yeah 29billion in charities that is great, and how about the billions in contracts he is recieving from places, like Iraq, where MS was down there before they even had running water and electricity. BUT HELL HE GIVES SO MUCH!

My most favorite saying is this "The greatest trick the devil ever played was to make humanity believe he wasn't real." I am not saying Bill Gates is the Devil, but he is no saint. He stole where he needed to steal, he blocked who he needed to block, and all the MS love and Praise in the world won't change those facts.

You wanna know why I think he is quitting? Because he can't do any more, Goggle is kicking the crap out of him, MS Windows is such a horrible enviorment, that Apple is rising steadily unseating the Top PC DELL, and he basically has no avenues to steal from, seeing that VISTA is crap on a stick. I mean I own a PC I choose not to be in the Apple world, but not cause of the AWESOME windows experience, but because as of right now the mac lifestyle doesn't offer the same quality for price to me.

Make no mistake though, windows is Killing the PC world out, as every year people get FED up and Move over to APPLE. This is the real reason Gates is gone, he wants to pull a LEE Iacocca and go out on top and talk about when he ran the company it was AMAZING. And hells yes I know I am going to get flamed by MS fanboys but I gives not a damn, loving a man for the media his money can create is just silly. Bill Gates is no Bono, I am not saying that giving money to charities is wrong, what I am saying is not everygood deed, is a charitiable deed.

Andir @ Jun 16th 2006 6:45PM

I'm with you zsavior. Just because the guy gave away money doesn't make him a saint. Did you ever stop to think that he felt bad for himself and his actions and giving away excessive amounts of cash was his way of "making up with his maker" before he passes on? I don't buy it for a minute.

Sabre @ Jun 16th 2006 7:08PM

Hate to break it to you guys but Apple won't be surpassing Windows anytime soon in sales. It will continue to be another niche in the market just like Linux.

So you think Vista is crap huh? So you've used the final 100% completed version. Oh wait...you haven't...b/c all that is out right now is Beta 2 and it's unfinished code. The websites that post 'benchmarks' comparing XP to Vista and then rag on Vista b/c it isn't as fast as XP are idiots. Why? Well for one XP has been out for 5 years and is way more stable then when it came out. Vista on the other hand is still a WIP and is unfinished code...you can't compare the 2 at this point and make a decision.

joe moe @ Jun 17th 2006 12:40AM

it's the end of an era, ill be lying if i said that I'm not sad for this, bill is the face of MS and an inspiration for some people including me. so keep up the good work bill.

JAC @ Jun 28th 2006 11:33AM

Sabre has a point however I remember running the Beta for Windows 95, there was an excitement and buzz because the interface had been so radically overhauled. Vista was meant to be as big a jump as those heady days. Trouble is, from what I can tell from testing out the Beta 2 release, Microsoft have simply brushed up XP to look a bit snazzier which isn't what the industry was hoping for after a 5 year wait, we were hoping for some inovations and instead we got some rehashes of products that are already out for XP. Internet Explorer 7 from Firefox? Dashboard from Konfabulator? Even the snazzy black look can be emulated on Windowsblinds so what really useful interface improvements are there from XP that haven't already been implemented? In my opinion at the moment there just isn't enough to warrant the purchase of some mega machine to run them on.