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On June 27, 2008, Bill Gates’s retired from Microsoft (MSFT) for more than thirty years. Two years ago Gates announced that he was leaving the software world to devote his time to the philanthropic organization he started with his wife in 2000. The group’s work involves funding malaria and HIV research, among other causes. Bill Gates will focus more time on his work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill Gates will remain Microsoft’s chairman and will be involved in select projects based on direction from Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer and the leadership team. Gates will not completely exit Redmond. He will continue serving as Microsoft chairman and dedicate one day a week to company business. The task of running Microsoft now falls to chief executive Steve Ballmer, chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie and chief software architect Ray Ozzie.

On Microsoft, Gates has many amazing journey — from coding BASIC for the Altair 8800 to leading the world’s largest software company. From Microsoft’s founding in 1975 until 2006, Gates had primary responsibility for the company’s product strategy. He aggressively broadened the company’s range of products, and wherever Microsoft achieved a dominant position he vigorously defended it.