Bill Gates leaves Microsoft Board of Directors

The 64-year-old businessman stopped interfering in the day-to-day operations of the company more than a decade ago, turning his attention to the foundation he set up with his wife, Melinda.

According to the Redmond-based tech giant, Gates served as Chairman of the Microsoft Board of Directors until early 2014 and has now completely stepped down from the position.

Bill Gates served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Microsoft until 2014. Photo: AFP

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with and learn from Bill over the years,” said CEO and company veteran Satya Nadella in a statement. “Bill founded the company with a belief in the democratizing power of software and a desire to solve society’s most pressing challenges, and Microsoft and the world are better off because of it.”

Nadella said Microsoft will continue to benefit from Gates' “technical passion and advice” as he continues to serve as a technical advisor. “I am grateful for Bill’s friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him,” Nadella said.

AFP reported that Gates stepped down as CEO in 2000, handing over the reins of the company to Steve Ballmer to devote more time to his charitable foundation. He stepped down as chairman at the same time Nadella became Microsoft's third CEO in 2014.

Often appearing on the list of the world's richest people, few people know that William H. Gates was a young man with an intellectual appearance when he co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975. Gates grew up in Seattle in a family of 3 children, his father William was a lawyer and his late mother Mary was a teacher and president of United Way International.

He began programming computers as a 13-year-old student and became passionate about machines. With the encouragement of his parents, Gates dropped out of Harvard and started “Micro-soft” with his childhood friend Allen. As the personal computer market grew, Microsoft became the world's leading software company.

Gates then turned his attention from software to fighting disease and other humanitarian challenges with his wife, under the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Gates is a historic figure in the technology world and his legacy at Microsoft will be felt in Redmond for decades to come,” said Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives.