Bill Gates left Microsoft’s board of directors in 2020.
On March 13, 2020, Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board as well as from the board of Berkshire Hathaway. He said he wanted to devote more time to philanthropic priorities, including global health, education, and climate-related work. He remained a technology adviser to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella after leaving the board.
Gates had already reduced his day-to-day Microsoft involvement years earlier. He stepped down as chief executive officer in 2000, moved away from a full-time role in 2008, and left his position as chairman in 2014. His 2020 departure therefore marked the end of his formal board service, not the end of every connection with Microsoft.
A common mix-up is treating 2008 or 2014 as the year he completely left Microsoft. Those dates describe earlier changes in his executive and chairman responsibilities; 2020 is the year he departed the board.