Steve Ballmer
Former Microsoft CEO and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Steven Ballmer (born March 24, 1956) is an American businessman and investor best known as Microsoft’s CEO from 2000 to 2014. He now owns the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and co-founded the Ballmer Group, a philanthropic investment firm. According to Bloomberg, his net worth was about $145 billion as of February 2026, ranking him 13th globally; Forbes placed him 14th at $130 billion.
Ballmer grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the son of a Ford Motor Company manager and a Jewish mother (making him a second cousin of comedian Gilda Radner). He spent part of his childhood in Brussels, attended Lawrence Technological University for prep and engineering classes, and graduated as valedictorian from Detroit Country Day School with a perfect SAT math score. At Harvard, he managed the football team, worked on the *Harvard Crimson* and *Harvard Advocate*, lived down the hall from Bill Gates, and outperformed Gates on the Putnam math exam. He earned a magna cum laude BA in applied math and economics in 1977. After two years as an assistant product manager at Procter & Gamble (sharing an office with future GE CEO Jeff Immelt) and a brief attempt at screenwriting, he entered Stanford’s MBA program but dropped out in 1980 to join Microsoft.
Ballmer became Microsoft’s 30th employee and first business manager on June 11, 1980, with a $50,000 salary plus 10% of the profit he generated. As the company grew, his profit share ballooned; when Microsoft incorporated in 1981, he owned 8% of the company in exchange for canceling that model. He sold 39.3 million shares in 2003 for about $955 million, reducing his stake to 4%, and that same year replaced the employee stock options program. Over his first two decades, he led divisions including operations, operating systems, and sales, became executive VP for sales in 1992, and was promoted to president in 1998, making him the de facto number two after Gates.
As CEO from January 13, 2000, Ballmer handled finances and daily operations while Gates retained control of technology vision until 2006. He inherited a company fighting a major antitrust suit from the U.S. government and 20 states, plus class-action lawsuits. Unlike Gates, who might have fought on, Ballmer sought settlements, calling the government’s complaint a “very awkward, uncomfortable position” with “all downside.” Under his 14-year leadership, Microsoft tripled sales and doubled profits but lost market dominance and missed key 21st-century trends like smartphones (iPhone and Android). He stepped down as CEO on February 4, 2014, replaced by Satya Nadella, and left Microsoft’s board on August 19, 2014.
Ballmer’s ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers is widely seen as an improvement over former owner Donald Sterling. Players and sportswriters credit his willingness to acquire superstar players and finance the Intuit Dome.
- born
- March 24, 1956, Detroit, Michigan
- field
- Business, technology, sports ownership
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- CEO of Microsoft (2000–2014), owner of the Los Angeles Clippers
Lore & Background
Ballmer was hired by Bill Gates at Microsoft in 1980, and subsequently left the MBA program at Stanford University. He eventually became president in 1998, and replaced Gates as CEO on January 13, 2000. On February 4, 2014, Ballmer retired as CEO and was replaced by Satya Nadella; Ballmer remained on Microsoft's board of directors until August 19, 2014. Under Ballmer's leadership, a 14-year period, the company tripled sales and doubled profits, but lost its market dominance and missed out on 21st-century technology trends such as the ascendance of smartphones in the forms of iPhone and Android. Players and sportswriters generally consider Ballmer's ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers as an improvement over previous owner Donald Sterling, citing his willingness to acquire superstar players and finance the construction of Intuit Dome.
Reader's Guide
Ballmer was born on March 24, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan, to Beatrice Dworkin and Frederic Henry Ballmer, a manager at Ford Motor Company. Frederic was from Zuchwil, Switzerland, and arrived in the United States in 1948. Ballmer's mother was Jewish. Through his mother, Ballmer is a second cousin of Gilda Radner. He grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and lived in Brussels from 1964 to 1967, attending the International School of Brussels. In 1973, he attended college prep and engineering classes at Lawrence Technological University. He graduated as valedictorian from Detroit Country Day School, with a score of 800 on the mathematical section of the SAT and was a National Merit Scholar. Ballmer, a first-generation college student, attended Harvard University, where he was a manager for the Harvard Crimson football team, a member of the Fox Club, worked on The Harvard Crimson and the Harvard Advocate, and lived down the hall from fellow sophomore Bill Gates. He scored highly in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in applied mathematics and economics in 1977. Ballmer worked as an assistant product manager at Procter & Gamble for two years. After briefly trying to write screenplays in Hollywood, he started attending the Stanford Graduate School of Business for his MBA (where Mukesh Ambani was his classmate), but dropped out in 1980 to join Microsoft. Ballmer joined Microsoft on June 11, 1980, and became Microsoft's 30th employee and the first business manager hired by Gates. He joined with a salary of $50,000 plus 10% of the profit he generated and no equity. When Microsoft was incorporated in 1981, Ballmer owned 8% of the company. In 2003, Ballmer sold 39.3 million Microsoft shares for about $955 million, reducing his ownership to 4%. The same year, he replaced Microsoft's employee stock options program. In his first 20 years at the company, Ballmer headed several Microsoft divisions. In February 1992, he became Executive Vice President for Sales and Support. Ballmer led Microsoft's development of the .NET Framework. He was promoted to President of Microsoft in July 1998. As CEO, Ballmer handled company finances and daily operations. He oversaw a dramatic shift away from the company's PC-first heritage, and drove Microsoft's 'connected computing' strategy with acquisitions such as Skype.
Did You Know?
- Ballmer scored higher than Bill Gates in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.
- Ballmer was a manager for the Harvard Crimson football team.
- Ballmer lived down the hall from Bill Gates at Harvard.
- Ballmer's profit-share at Microsoft started to balloon out of control as the company grew.
- Ballmer owned 8% of Microsoft when it was incorporated in 1981.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Steven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer (born 24 March 1956) is an American businessman and investor who was the Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft from January 13, 2000, to February 4, 2014." — Steve Ballmer "I think it would be absolutely reckless and irresponsible for anyone to try and break up Microsoft." — Steve Ballmer "DOJ Case: Your Voice Counts!". Freedom to Innovate Network. Microsoft (17 January 2000). Retrieved on 2018-01-03." — Steve Ballmer "Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Come on! Get up, get up! Come on! Come on, give it up for me! Whoo! Whoo! Come on! Who said 'sit down'? I have four words for you. I. Love. This. Company. Yes!" — Steve Ballmer
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