Bill Gates stepped down as Microsoft’s chief executive officer in 2000.
Gates became Microsoft’s CEO in 1986, the year the company went public, and led it through the explosive growth of personal computers and Windows. During his tenure, Microsoft expanded from a programming-language company into a global software corporation.
In January 2000, Gates handed the CEO role to Steve Ballmer, who had joined Microsoft in 1980 and had been a key business leader. Gates remained Microsoft’s chairman and became chief software architect, allowing him to focus more heavily on software strategy and product development.
Gates later reduced his day-to-day involvement at Microsoft. He moved away from the chief software architect role in 2006 and left his full-time position at the company in 2008, while continuing to serve as chairman until 2014.