Published earlier in Feb 2014 in my earlier Blog – Ported here in Aug 2017:

You may have seen the news recently that Microsoft will now have a new CEO in place of Steve Ballmer. This had to be done in response to Wall Street angst with the direction that MSFT has been heading under Steve Ballmer. Along with this announcement came the news that Bill Gates will now assume the new role as “Founder and Technical Advisor” and spend considerable time “assisting” the new CEO and the technical teams.

Microsoft is now at a crossroads and this was an opportunity for MSFT to establish a new identity for itself independent of its original founders. However, this would have meant Bill Gates bidding goodbye to his “baby” and heading off into the sunset in retirement. Hence, these leadership changes in MSFT are, in our opinion, a clear signal that this great tech titan is coming back from the cold to reclaim his place at the head of the Information Technology Table.

Bill Gates has probably achieved every goal he has ever set for himself. He is the richest man and the biggest philanthropist, who will probably get the Nobel Peace Prize sometime in the future. However, great people who have achieved everything, and have everything, always think of their legacy in their primary profession. It is our view, that Bill Gates would like to be remembered as the best programmer during his lifetime, and to achieve this distinction, he would need to take on the next generation of superstars such as Sergei Brin, Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg and come out ahead.

However, this strategy could be fraught with risk, as there could be an alternate center of power, when a Tech Titan like Bill Gates, sits across the hall from the CEO! This can give rise to office politics and intrigue which can undermine the new CEOs authority. Only time will tell if this change is success for MSFT. However, we are of the firm belief, that Bill Gates’s return to active leadership is a great development. Bill Gates will move MSFT to the top and retire like John Elway of the Denver Broncos or Ray Lewis of Baltimore Ravens did after they won the SuperBowl!