Bill Gates is Stepping Down From the Boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to Focus on 'Philanthropic Priorities'

Bani Sapra of Business Insider wrote:

Bill Gates is stepping down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to focus on his work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Microsoft co-founder announced in a LinkedIn post on Friday.

"I have made the decision to step down from both of the public boards on which I serve -- Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway -- to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities," Gates wrote. "The leadership at the Berkshire companies and Microsoft has never been stronger, so the time is right to take this step."

The news comes a month after Gates vowed to be more engaged in tackling climate change, when the Gates Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in February. Gates reiterated that commitment in his announcement.

Gates has not worked at Microsoft full time since 2008, when he stepped away to focus on his foundation. He stepped down as chairman of the board six years ago, when Microsoft's current CEO Satya Nadella was appointed to the role. On Friday, he noted that he would continue to serve as an advisor to Nadella.

"With respect to Microsoft, stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company. Microsoft will always be an important part of my life's work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company's ambitious goals," Gates wrote.

"Bill founded our company with a belief in the democratizing force of software and a passion to solve society's most pressing challenges. And Microsoft and the world are better for it," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement. "The board has benefited from Bill's leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill's ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward."