If one thing has been clear in the 50 years of Bill Gates’s professional career, he has Good smell for businessalthough sometimes he has failed in his decisions. That has led him to remain for almost four decades in the Top 10 of the biggest fortunes.
In his biographical book ‘Source Code: My Beginnings‘, the millionaire remembers what was his biggest bet: Sign Steve Ballmer and offer a good piece of the Microsoft cake.
United for Harvard’s halls
Bill Gates remembered in his book his years as a student at Harvard University in Autumn 1976, where the millionaire forged a close friendship with someone who, two decades Later he would replace him under Microsoft.
Gates met Ballmer through a common friend in a harvard economy postgraduate class. “Steve looks a lot like you,” said his friend. Unlike the rest of the math students, Gates was impressed with the personality of his new friend. “Steve had incredible energy and a unique ability to motivate people,” Gates said.
Then I didn’t know, but that Combination of skills He made Ballmer the ideal candidate to help transform Microsoft from a small startup to a global corporation.
In those years, Ballmer already pointed ways in the sports direction. He was responsible for the University’s football team, supervised the advertising of his student newspaper and was the president of Harvard’s literary magazine. Gates describes in his book how he remembered having attended a football game and seeing Ballmer “spending so much energy walking from one place to another and jumping on the side of the field” like any of the players they were playing.
Both partners They connected rapidly And they became inseparable, chatting about the future, the power of business and how to revolutionize the world. Of course among their great plans, they developed their particular strategy for success: to skip the economy classes, and study in a hurry at the last minute just before presenting the exam … and approve it “triumphant.”
The millionaire tells his biography that the charismatic Ballmer was responsible for expanding the social circle of Gates during his time in Harvard, and introduces Bill Gates in the Fox Club. As described by the Millionaire in his book, this club was known for his “Tag parties, secret hands and other archaic rules and rituals”, the founder of Microsoft would have avoided not being for his effusive friend Ballmer.
Steve, Vente to Microsoft
In 1980, Bill Gates made a decision that would change Microsoft’s course and of the technology industry. Gates needed a strategist, a partner who could handle the commercial department to sell the product, while he concentrated on technology. This is where Gates recalled Ballmer’s good social skills.
In principle, young Microsoft founders were willing to offer up to 5% of their new company’s shares to recruit Steve Ballmer as manager. Finally, and thanks to the undeniable Ballmer’s negotiating talent, Gates ended up accessing him to deliver the 8.75% of Microsoft’s actions.
Gates reflected on this decision years later: “Giving Steve those actions was one of the best decisions I have made.” Microsoft’s success in the following decades demonstrated the wisdom of this election, consolidating the company’s position as leader in the technology industry.
The founder of Microsoft recognized the importance of having someone like Ballmer, who had a business vision complementary to his. “We needed someone who could help us grow as a business,” Gates explained in his memoirs. This decision demonstrated the long -term vision of Gates and his willingness to sacrifice immediate profits for a major future benefit.
Ballmer’s incorporation had a deep effect on Microsoft’s trajectory, beyond showing the energy that conquered Gates Sweating the shirt on stageor doing that Gates lost his shame in order to increase your sales.
Ballmer’s leadership years at the head of Microsoft cannot be considered the brightest of the company, who did not know how to get on Mobile telephony train.
Ballmer returned to his passion
After leave the world of technology and with 8.75% of the actions of a Microsoft catapulted to financial success by Satya NadellaSteve Ballmer has been able to devote himself in body and soul to his passion: basketball.
He bought the team of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers and that has led him to become the thirteenth fortune in the world according to the Forbes Millionaires Listwith a patrimony of 121.3 billion dollars, overcoming in wealth To his friend and mentor Bill Gates.
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Image | Flickr (Wired Photostream, World Bank Photo Collection)