Good luck Bill

No I am talking to myself but the founder of Microsoft. Bill Gates announced yesterday he will longer be taking a day to day role with the company beginning in 2008.

REDMOND, Wash. - Bill Gates isn't leaving Microsoft, he's just leaving his day-to-day responsibilities there. That was the message Microsoft Corp. sought to send Thursday when it announced that Gates planned to step back from his regular duties in July 2008, while still continuing to be chairman of the company he co-founded.

One of the key people taking on Gates' responsibilities is technology luminary Ray Ozzie, who developed Lotus Notes and came to Microsoft when it acquired his company, Groove Networks Inc., in 2005.

The move will end an era at Microsoft, which Gates founded in 1975 with childhood pal Paul Allen and has been the public face of ever since. Gates, 50, said he is stepping back so he can spend more time on his philanthropic foundation, the world's largest.

The Redmond company on Thursday laid out a plan for other high-ranking executives to take on Gates' duties. Gates and Chief Executive Steve Ballmer also noted that recent corporate reorganizations have been designed to move more responsibility to lower-ranking executives, so the company could more quickly make decisions without Gates and Ballmer.

*****

Gates stressed that although he would be giving up day-to-day responsibilities, he would still play a role at the company.

"I'm not leaving Microsoft," he said.

Gates also said he had no plans to give up the distinction of being the company's largest shareholder.

"I'm proud of that," he said.

*****

Gates is ranked by Forbes magazine as the world's richest man, with an estimated wealth of about $50 billion. That great wealth, he said, also brings great responsibility, and he repeated his often-spoken desire to give away the bulk of his fortune to charity.

Gates said he didn't realize when he started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 what potential there was for addressing some of the world's greatest problems, such as global health and education. The foundation is now the world's largest philanthropy, with assets totaling $29.1 billion.

"Just as Microsoft has taken off in ways I never expected, so has the work of the foundation," he said.

The foundation is considered a leader in international public health, particularly in the fight against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis in the developing world. In the United States, it has put its massive resources behind reforming education and accessing technology in public libraries.

Seems like Bill Gates has a plan for the future and a very honorable one. I admire his generosity and wish him well. To retire at 50 and do your life dreams. Wouldn't we all like to do that? Yes chess and blogging. Isn't that what I do now? LOL.

Steven Taylor at Poliblog has a very scary photo of the Microsoft staff in 1978. Go over and take a peek.
Open Post- Adam's Blog, Bullwinkle Blog,