Ballmer resigns
August 20, 2014Former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said Tuesday he was stepping down from the software giant's board of directors in order to focus on managing a newly acquired basketball team, teaching business at universities and his own study.
"Given my confidence and the multitude of new commitments I am taking on now, I think it would be impractical for me to continue to serve on the board, and it is best for me to move off," Ballmer wrote in a resignation letter to his successor, Satya Nadella.
Ballmer's departure marks the end of a 34-year career at Microsoft. The 58-year-old joined the company in 1980 when it was just a small tech start-up operating out of the Seattle suburbs.
In 2000, Ballmer succeeded co-founder Bill Gates as CEO - a position he held until February this year.
Ballmer's resignation from the board came a day after he high-fived his way into the Staples Center stadium, home of the LA Clippers, a basketball team he bought for a record $2 billion (1.5 billion euros) earlier this month.
cjc/uhe (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)