Microsoft has announced that its co-founder, Bill Gates is stepping down from the company’s board to focus on philanthropic activities. The investor says he wants to spend more time on global health and development, education and tackling climate change.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke about the privilege of working and learning from Bill over the years.
“Bill founded our company with a belief in the democratizing force of software and a passion to solve society’s most pressing challenges. And Microsoft and the world are better for it.
“The board has benefited from Bill’s leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill’s ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward.
“I am grateful for Bill’s friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him to realize our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” she said.
Also Read:
– Billionaire Wars: Elon Musk Says Bill Gates Is Underwhelming
– Nintendo Wins Dispute Alleging It Infringed On Gamevice’s Gaming Device
– US Department Of Defense Reconsiders JEDI Multi-Billion Contract Awarded To Microsoft
He is also stepping down from his position on the board of Berkshire Hathaway.
The investor announced on his LinkedIn:
“I have made the decision to step down from both of the public boards on which I serve – Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway – to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities including global health and development, education, and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change. The leadership at the Berkshire companies and Microsoft has never been stronger, so the time is right to take this step.”
“With respect to Microsoft, stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company. Microsoft will always be an important part of my life’s work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company’s ambitious goals. I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world,” He added.
Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen in April 1975. Their breakthrough came in 1980 when they agreed to build an operating system known as MS-DOS for IBM. At 31, Bill became the youngest self-made billionaire at the time. His other co-founder, Paul Allen died in 2018.
Bill and his wife, Melinda were named the most generous philanthropists in 2018 by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The couple gave $4.8bn to their foundation the past year. The couple also largely contributed to the defeat of polio in Nigeria.
For your daily dose of tech, lifestyle and trending content, make sure to follow Plat4om on Twitter @Plat4omLive, on Instagram @Plat4om, on LinkedIn at Plat4om, and on Facebook at Plat4om. You can also email us at info@plat4om.com. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel HERE.