Microsoft has been making headlines in recent months as it scrambles to find a new CEO to lead the company after the news that the current CEO, Steven Ballmer, would be retiring. Since that time, many people have been asking if Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates would reprise his position as the company's CEO. Now, Forbes' richest man in the world has said that he will make himself available to help out his company on a part-time basis.
Gates reportedly told Bloomberg that he won't return as CEO, a stance that he has maintained since Ballmer announced his retirement. He plans to dedicate the rest of his life to philanthropy, but says he will not be absent for the decisions of his company. Gates has mostly been talking about his philanthropic efforts in any recent public appearances, mainly focused on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
He made a point of saying that Microsoft will move at the right pace to find Ballmer's successor. Although many wanted a quick CEO turnaround, Gates says that picking the right person is paramount.
Gates is a seasoned public figure and knew exactly how much information to give. As a result, there were no hints as to which direction the company is going in terms of who it will select for the position of CEO. Recent reports, however, indicate that Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg has joined insiders Satya Nadella and Stephen Elop on the short list of candidates, according to InformationWeek. Reports also suggest that the preferred candidates such as Ford CEO Alan Mulally dropped out of the running voluntarily due to the influence of both Gates and the outgoing CEO, Ballmer, on the board of Microsoft.
It's unclear at this time exactly what Gates means by having a "part-time" involvement with the selection of a new CEO, but at least he has made it clear that he will in fact be involved with the decision as to who will be running the company that he helped found so many years ago.
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