Steve Ballmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Ballmer
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Ballmer in 2007
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Steven Anthony Ballmer
March 24, 1956 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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| Known for | Former CEO of Microsoft Co-founder of Ballmer Group Owner of the Los Angeles Clippers |
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Connie Snyder
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Gilda Radner (second cousin) |
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Steven Anthony Ballmer (born March 24, 1956) is an American businessman and investor. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. Today, he owns the Los Angeles Clippers, a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also helped start Ballmer Group, a company that invests in good causes.
As of May 2025, Steve Ballmer is one of the richest people in the world. His wealth is estimated to be around $151 billion.
Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980, hired by Bill Gates. He left his MBA program at Stanford University to work there. He became president of Microsoft in 1998 and then took over as CEO from Bill Gates in 2000. He retired as CEO in 2014. During his time as CEO, Microsoft's sales tripled and profits doubled. However, the company faced challenges in new areas like smartphones.
Many people who follow basketball think Ballmer has greatly improved the Clippers team. They like that he is willing to get top players and build a new arena called Intuit Dome.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Steven Anthony Ballmer was born on March 24, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan. His father, Frederic, worked at the Ford Motor Company. His mother, Beatrice, was Jewish. Steve Ballmer is a second cousin to the famous actress and comedian Gilda Radner. He grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan. From 1964 to 1967, he lived in Brussels, Belgium, and went to the International School of Brussels.
In 1973, he took engineering classes at Lawrence Technological University. He was the top student when he graduated from Detroit Country Day School. He also scored very high on the math part of the SAT test.
Ballmer was the first in his family to go to college. He attended Harvard University. There, he managed the Harvard Crimson football team and worked on the school newspaper. He lived down the hall from Bill Gates, who would later become his boss and friend. Ballmer did very well in math competitions. He graduated in 1977 with a degree in applied mathematics and economics.
After college, Ballmer worked at Procter & Gamble for two years. He then started an MBA program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. But he left in 1980 to join Microsoft.
Working at Microsoft
Ballmer joined Microsoft on June 11, 1980. He was the 30th employee and the first business manager hired by Bill Gates.
When he started, Ballmer earned $50,000 a year plus a share of the profits. As Microsoft grew, this profit share became very large. Later, he agreed to own 8% of the company instead of getting a share of the profits. In 2003, he sold some of his Microsoft shares.
For his first 20 years, Ballmer led many different parts of Microsoft. These included operations, developing operating systems, and sales. In 1998, he became President of Microsoft. This made him the second most important person after Bill Gates.
Leading as CEO (2000–2014)
On January 13, 2000, Ballmer officially became the chief executive officer (CEO). As CEO, he managed the company's money and daily work. Bill Gates remained chairman and focused on the company's technology ideas. In 2006, Gates stepped back from daily work, giving Ballmer more freedom to make big changes.
When Ballmer became CEO, Microsoft was dealing with a big legal case from the U.S. government. Ballmer decided to try and settle these cases. He felt that being sued by the government was a difficult situation for the company.
As CEO, Ballmer made sure new products had a clear business reason before they were approved. He didn't want the company to just create hundreds of trendy products. In 2005, he hired B. Kevin Turner from Walmart to help manage Microsoft's sales and operations.
After Bill Gates retired from daily work, Ballmer made big changes. He replaced many leaders to help different parts of the company work better together. He also led Microsoft's strategy to connect different devices. This included buying companies like Skype.
During Ballmer's time as CEO, Microsoft's yearly income grew from $25 billion to $70 billion. Its profits also increased a lot. These gains came from popular products like Windows and Office. Ballmer also helped create new businesses for Microsoft. These included data centers and the Xbox gaming division. He also oversaw the purchase of Skype. These new products helped Microsoft rely less on just computers as technology changed.
However, Ballmer was criticized for not quickly adopting new technologies like tablets, smartphones, and music players. Some felt Microsoft was slow to catch up in these areas. For example, in 2012, a hedge fund manager suggested Ballmer should step down as CEO.
In 2009, Ballmer gave the main speech at the Consumer Electronics Show for the first time.
To expand into computer hardware, Ballmer showed Microsoft's first computer device, a tablet called Microsoft Surface, in June 2012. His last big purchase as CEO was Nokia's mobile phone division in September 2013.
On August 23, 2013, Microsoft announced that Ballmer would retire within the next year. A special group, including Bill Gates, chose the next CEO. On February 4, 2014, Satya Nadella took over as CEO.
Public Persona
Even though he was shy as a child, Ballmer is known for his very energetic personality. He often shouted to motivate employees, sometimes needing surgery on his vocal cords.
Videos of Ballmer's excited appearances at Microsoft events became very popular online. One early video from 1986 showed him promoting Windows 1.0 in a funny way. Another famous video from 2000 showed him jumping across a stage, shouting, "I love this company!" At a Windows 2000 conference, he was seen sweating and repeatedly chanting "developers."
Relationship with Bill Gates
Ballmer was Bill Gates' best man at his wedding. For many years, their relationship was very close, like a partnership. They often had strong debates, which was part of Microsoft's culture. While Gates was happy Ballmer became CEO in 2000 so he could focus on technology, there were also tensions as Ballmer took more control.
In October 2014, after Ballmer left Microsoft, it was reported that he and Gates no longer talked much. Ballmer later said in 2016 that they had "drifted apart." He mentioned that his push into the smartphone business, which Gates didn't support, contributed to their relationship changing.
Retirement from Microsoft
After saying in 2008 that he planned to stay CEO for another ten years, Ballmer announced his retirement in 2013. This came after some business decisions that lost money, like the Surface tablet. Microsoft's stock price went up after the news of his retirement.
Ballmer later said he regretted not focusing enough on Windows Mobile in the early 2000s. This meant Microsoft fell behind in the smartphone market. He also noted that the success of the expensive iPhones was due to phone companies helping pay for them.
Ballmer hosted his last company meeting in September 2013. He left Microsoft's board of directors in August 2014.
In December 2023, it was estimated that Ballmer would receive $1 billion in dividends from his Microsoft stock.
Other Roles
Ballmer was a director at Accenture, a global professional services company, from 2001 to 2006.
Views on Other Companies
Apple
In 2007, Ballmer famously said, "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance."
In 2009, he criticized Apple's prices. He said that paying an extra $500 for a computer just for a logo was harder for people to do during tough economic times.
In 2014, Ballmer said he would not allow his basketball team, the Clippers, to use Apple products like iPads. He wanted them to use Microsoft products instead. It was also reported that he had told his family not to use iPhones.
In 2015, when Apple became the world's most valuable company, Ballmer called Microsoft's decision to invest in Apple in 1997 "the craziest thing we ever did."
In 2016, Ballmer explained his iPhone comments. He said he thought the price of $600-$700 was too high. He didn't realize that phone companies would include the cost in customers' monthly bills.
Open Source Software
In 2001, Ballmer called Linux, a type of free software, a "cancer." He was concerned that its license required other software built on it to also be free. In 2003, he even tried to convince the mayor of Munich, Germany, not to switch to Linux, offering a discount. However, Munich still switched.
By 2016, Ballmer's view on Linux had changed. He said he supported his successor, Satya Nadella, in embracing open source software. He felt his earlier comments were right for their time, but times had changed.
In 2005, Microsoft sued Google for hiring one of its former vice presidents. A former Microsoft employee claimed that Ballmer became very angry when he heard someone was leaving for Google. Ballmer denied that the event happened as described.
In 2011, Ballmer said that you needed to be a computer expert to use an Android phone, but not a Windows Phone. He found it hard to be excited about Android phones.
In 2013, Ballmer called Google a "monopoly" that should be looked at by market competition authorities.
Sports Interests
In 2008, Ballmer was part of a group that offered to invest $150 million to renovate KeyArena in Seattle. They wanted to buy the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team to keep them in Seattle. However, this plan failed, and the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City.
In 2012, Ballmer invested in a plan to build a new arena in Seattle and bring the SuperSonics back. In 2013, Ballmer and other investors tried to buy the Sacramento Kings basketball team and move them to Seattle. This attempt also did not work out.
After a big scandal involving the previous owner in 2014, Ballmer made the highest offer to buy the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion. This was one of the highest prices ever paid for a sports team at the time. On August 12, 2014, it was announced that Ballmer would become the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.
In March 2020, Ballmer bought The Forum, a famous entertainment venue. This purchase helped him build the new Intuit Dome arena for the Clippers nearby.
In a survey in December 2020, Ballmer was voted the best owner in basketball.
Giving Back (Philanthropy)
On November 12, 2014, Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie donated $50 million to the University of Oregon. Connie Ballmer is a former student there. The money helps with scholarships, public health research, and promoting the university. The next day, it was announced that Ballmer would give about $60 million to Harvard University's computer science department. This gift helps the department hire new teachers and improve its program. Ballmer had also given $10 million to the same department in 1994 with Bill Gates.
In 2022, Ballmer donated $425 million to the University of Oregon for a new center focused on children's mental health.
Ballmer is also a big donor to the Jewish National Fund.
Ballmer Group
In 2015, Steve and Connie Ballmer started the Ballmer Group. This is a company that invests in good causes. Its goal is to help children, especially those from poor families, have better chances in life. The group works in Washington state, Los Angeles, and the Detroit area.
USAFacts
Ballmer launched USAFacts in 2017. This is a non-profit organization that helps people understand how the U.S. government collects and spends money, and its impact on society. He reportedly gave $10 million to fund teams that gather official data for the website.
Personal Life
Steve Ballmer married Connie Snyder in 1990. They have three sons.
The Ballmers mainly live in Hunts Point, Washington. They own several homes in the Seattle area.
See also
In Spanish: Steve Ballmer para niños
