Steve Ballmer Already Gave Execs His Retirement Date
Looks like the current CEO of Microsoft will be sticking around until at least 2018. Windows Windows WINDOWS!!!
It doesn't look like Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer plans to step down from his position any time soon. Why? Because he said so. Ballmer made his plans well known back in 2008, admitting during a public speech that he won't go into retirement until after his youngest kid sets sail for college. Little did anyone know that Ballmer already revealed his retirement plans to other Microsoft executives even before his public revelation.
Business Insider is calling "exclusive" on insider information that claims Ballmer informed other Microsoft execs of his retirement plans way back in 2008 -- just before his public speech -- during a company retreat. According to the source, Ballmer specifically said retirement wouldn't happen until around 2017 or 2018 after his youngest heads off to college. Until then, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Now three years later, Ballmer has weathered the storm of low sales that took place in 2008 and 2009, and let slide calls from investors to step down. He also still has Bill Gates by his side who coincidentally is the chairman of the board. Gates said he'll never ask Ballmer to leave, and even gives advice when Ballmer approaches with questions about executive appointments, evaluating good technical product leaders, acquisitions and more.
"This person is a fan of Ballmer, and says that his passion, integrity, and business sense are excellent ," Business Insider reports, referring to the unnamed source. "He really knows in detail the performance of every product group and sales team in the company, and his enthusiasm really is like that in private, too. But this person also worries that Ballmer lacks the vision to figure out which business areas to bet on for the long term."
So there you have it: Ballmer will likely stick around as Microsoft CEO until at least 2018. That means we'll have around six more years of flying fists and crazy, over-the-top antics to keep us both amused and informed until his eventual departure. Still, Microsoft without Ballmer would be like McDonald's without Ronald... it just wouldn't be the same.
but then again, i guess it better to follow after ballmer instead of gates
Don't see how you can criticise the guy. If you don't like Microsoft, he's a bit of a nutter and will provide mild amusement, conversely if you're not blinded by what your company told you to think, he's enthusiastic and doesn't talk hyperbolic bullshit.
"Developers, Developers, Developers".
They are most important, unless you have other companies develop ideas, then patent them.
I don't know. Considering he doesn't want to retire until after his youngest heads to college, it sounds like he doesn't want to spend time with his family.
No, you're right, that does make him human.
Microsoft needs a big shift to happen if they want to stay relevant. They seem to have lost their identity. And as the quote suggests, I get the impression Microsoft is not sure what markets to focus it's attention on. They have pretty much failed in the phone and tablet arena.
I would rather McDonalds have quality food then a clown, in which case the analogy remains.
Not according to shareholders. Their stock hasn't gone anywhere since Ballmer took the helm.
Likening Ballmer to a clown is an EPIC WIN.
2018 Steve Ballmer goes out with a bang, brings back Clippy.
So that makes Ballmer the hero of all bald, middle aged, bad tempered bullies.
Sorry, Ballmer is no Lee Iacocca or Soichiro Honda. He's just an arrogant, sweaty guy in a powerful position.
It's easy to see Microsoft as just a company that plain sucks and does nothing right, and to assume that's just their corporate style. But, without Ballmer, they might actually do something good and have success outside of their monopolies, which are eroding.
He needs to go. Three years ago, not six years from now.
they pulled 5.8b profit in 2011
I'll never understand the hate for this guy, he is a ceo...not an engineer/developer.
Also, it's a good time to sell off Microsoft stock simply because it's close to a peak in the stock market.