Bill Gates Under Pressure to Quit Microsoft

Lady Fitzgerald · 02 Oct 2013

Only 5% share ownership makes them top investors? Without Gates, who knows how much more damage Ballsmore could have done (and yes, I know he's Gates' good bud).

Solarstarshines · 02 Oct 2013

Problem is if Gates own more then 50% of the Company which most smart men do when having investors

They have to buy him out and I doubt that would happen either it's about money the others can't make more profit when the Big dog is there controlling it once Gates retires or Passes on they will mutilate his work and we will be dragged down a long road of BS

Layback Bear · 02 Oct 2013

In my opinion Mr. Bill Gates at one time had his heart and money in Microsoft. Now he has less money in Microsoft and even less heart in Microsoft.
Also in my opinion when someone runs a company that big and that long they just plain get tired. I think he hired Ballmer to take the load off his shoulders and guide the company to being bigger and better.
How well did that work out?

Solarstarshines · 02 Oct 2013

Layback Bear said:

In my opinion Mr. Bill Gates at one time had his heart and money in Microsoft. Now he has less money in Microsoft and even less heart in Microsoft. Also in my opinion when someone runs a company that big that long they just plain get tired.

Big Amen to that but they also won't go away that easy either I sure wouldn't especially if people who didn't build my company want me out I would as soon break the company apart before that happens

In some cases he probably has a plan but it isn't going down how they want it to

Layback Bear · 02 Oct 2013

It is kind of like giving up your first born. Not easy to do.

kado897 · 02 Oct 2013

Solarstarshines said:

Problem is if Gates own more then 50% of the Company which most smart men do when having investors

They have to buy him out and I doubt that would happen either it's about money the others can't make more profit when the Big dog is there controlling it once Gates retires or Passes on they will mutilate his work and we will be dragged down a long road of BS

Apparently Bill Gates only owns 4.5% now.

Solarstarshines · 02 Oct 2013

kado897 said:

Solarstarshines said:

Problem is if Gates own more then 50% of the Company which most smart men do when having investors

They have to buy him out and I doubt that would happen either it's about money the others can't make more profit when the Big dog is there controlling it once Gates retires or Passes on they will mutilate his work and we will be dragged down a long road of BS

Apparently Bill Gates only owns 4.5% now.

But he still has to be voted off the board correct ,They just can't kick him out i'm sure he has lots of material patents under his name that would screw them up if he chooses to sue them over it if that were to happen I am going on hypothetical thought here

kado897 · 02 Oct 2013

Solarstarshines said:

kado897 said:

Solarstarshines said:

Problem is if Gates own more then 50% of the Company which most smart men do when having investors

They have to buy him out and I doubt that would happen either it's about money the others can't make more profit when the Big dog is there controlling it once Gates retires or Passes on they will mutilate his work and we will be dragged down a long road of BS

Apparently Bill Gates only owns 4.5% now.

But he still has to be voted off the board correct ,They just can't kick him out i'm sure he has lots of material patents under his name that would screw them up if he chooses to sue them over it if that were to happen I am going on hypothetical thought here

That's one of their arguments. That he wields greater power than his shareholding would suggest.

jimbo45 · 03 Oct 2013

kado897 said:

Three top investors in Microsoft are taking aim at Bill Gates to step down as chairman of the company he founded nearly 40 years ago, according to reports.

The mystery backers have not been named but are understood to be lobbying the company's board of directors for Mr Gates to be replaced, unnamed sources say.

The investors are said to be of the view that Mr Gates' presence on the board is blocking the adoption of new development strategies and making it hard for the chief executive to make substantial changes.

more...

Hi there
plenty of precidents in the business world for these types of changes -- once the founder / entrepreneur has done his / her stuff sometimes it's better they move on -- Bill gates is much more interested with his work with his foundation.

Remember also Virgin Records / megastores, Virgin trains and a whole slew of other stuff bearing Richard Branson's name -- he is only involved I think with his airline now.

There's nothing wrong with this - just "Natural Business evolution". Usually the entrepreneurial spirit that founds these types of businesses doesn't want to do the day to day boring stuff or get involved in tedious meetings with the "Suits" etc etc.

cheers
jimbo