Four men loom large in Microsoft history

Core Insights - The article discusses the significant contributions of four key figures in Microsoft's history: Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella, highlighting their roles in shaping the company and the tech industry over the decades [3][4][10][19]. Group 1: Bill Gates - Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen, aiming to put a computer in every office and home [3][4]. - Gates dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft and developed the MS-DOS operating system, which later became Windows, dominating the office software market [4]. - He faced criticism for monopolistic practices, leading to a successful antitrust case against Microsoft in the late 1990s [5]. - Gates transitioned from CEO to focus on philanthropy in 2000, establishing a charitable foundation with his then-wife, Melinda [5][8]. - He resigned from Microsoft's board in 2020 following revelations of a past relationship with an employee [6][8]. Group 2: Paul Allen - Paul Allen, Gates' childhood friend, co-founded Microsoft and was instrumental in its early development [10]. - He left Microsoft in 1983 but remained a board member until 2000, later accusing Gates and Ballmer of unfairly acquiring his shares during his battle with cancer [11] [10]. Group 3: Steve Ballmer - Steve Ballmer succeeded Gates as CEO in 2000 and was known for his enthusiastic leadership style [14]. - Under Ballmer, Microsoft launched several products, including Xbox and Surface tablets, but struggled with innovation as the market shifted towards mobile and cloud computing [15]. - His tenure saw both successes and notable product failures, such as the Zune and Kin mobile phones [15]. Group 4: Satya Nadella - Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014, emphasizing a "cloud-first, mobile-first" strategy to adapt Microsoft to changing market demands [19]. - He oversaw significant acquisitions, including LinkedIn and GitHub, and invested heavily in AI technologies [20][21]. - Nadella's leadership marked a transformation of Microsoft from a traditional software company to a leader in cloud services [19].