# Steve Ballmer

> American businessman, former chief executive officer of Microsoft

**Wikidata**: [Q181162](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181162)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ballmer)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/steve-ballmer

## Summary
Steve Ballmer is an American businessman and computer scientist best known as the chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He is a longtime Microsoft executive (employee 1980–2014), later owner of the NBA team the Los Angeles Clippers and a leader of philanthropic efforts through the Ballmer Group.

## Biography
- Born: 1956-03-24, Detroit, United States
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Harvard College (bachelor's degree: economics and mathematics, 1977); Stanford Graduate School of Business; Lawrence Technological University; Detroit Country Day School
- Known for: Former chief executive officer of Microsoft
- Employer(s): Microsoft (employee 1980-06-11 to 2014-08); Ballmer Group Philanthropy (affiliation); owner of the Los Angeles Clippers
- Field(s): Computer science, software development, entrepreneurship, business

## Contributions
Steve Ballmer led Microsoft in executive roles for more than three decades and served as chief executive officer from 2000 to 2014 (position held, start: 2000, end: 2014). He joined Microsoft as an employee on 1980-06-11 and remained with the company until 2014-08. As CEO he was the chief executive between predecessors and successors noted in company records (predecessor: Bill Gates; successor: Satya Nadella). Under his tenure, Microsoft continued as a major American multinational technology corporation (founded 1975, headquartered in Redmond). After leaving day-to-day executive duties, Ballmer became owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and has led the Ballmer Group philanthropic affiliation. His personal financial valuations were recorded by Forbes at multiple points: approximately $24.8 billion (2016-06-28), $40.1 billion (2019-01-03) and a preferred estimate of $51.9 billion (2019-10-01). He has received honors including Knight of the Legion of Honour. These outcomes reflect leadership of one of the world’s largest software companies, later sports franchise ownership, and large-scale philanthropic activity.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Steve Ballmer?
A: Steve Ballmer is an American businessman and computer scientist who served as chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 until 2014 and was a Microsoft employee from 1980 to 2014.

### Q: When did Ballmer serve as CEO of Microsoft?
A: Ballmer held the position of chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 (start_time listed as 2000-01) until 2014 (end_time listed as 2014-02), with his overall Microsoft employment recorded from 1980-06-11 to 2014-08.

### Q: What else is Ballmer known for besides Microsoft?
A: He is known as the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and as a leader of the Ballmer Group philanthropic affiliation. He has also been listed among the world’s wealthiest individuals by Forbes at multiple dates.

## Why They Matter
Steve Ballmer’s significance rests primarily on his long tenure and leadership at Microsoft, one of the world’s largest technology and software companies. As an early employee (joining in 1980) and as CEO from 2000 to 2014, he occupied a central executive role in a company founded in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, United States. Ballmer’s leadership period is a defining chapter in Microsoft’s corporate history, bridging the era of Bill Gates’s day-to-day leadership and the later stewardship of Satya Nadella. His later activities — high-profile ownership of an NBA franchise (the Los Angeles Clippers) and the Ballmer Group philanthropic affiliation — extended his influence beyond technology into sports ownership and philanthropy. Public records of his personal wealth and honors (for example, Forbes net worth milestones in 2016 and 2019, and the Knight of the Legion of Honour award) underscore the economic and civic scale of his impact. Without Ballmer’s multi-decade presence at Microsoft, the company’s leadership transition and some institutional initiatives during that period would have occurred under different executive direction.

## Notable For
- Serving as chief executive officer of Microsoft (position held 2000–2014; predecessor Bill Gates; successor Satya Nadella).
- Longtime Microsoft employee (start date 1980-06-11; end date 2014-08).
- Owner of the NBA team Los Angeles Clippers.
- Major personal wealth milestones recorded by Forbes (e.g., $24.8B in 2016; $40.1B and a $51.9B preferred estimate in 2019).
- Recipient of the Knight of the Legion of Honour.

## Body

### Early life and education
- Birth name: Steven Anthony Ballmer.
- Born on 1956-03-24 in Detroit, United States.
- Attended Detroit Country Day School.
- Earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College (fields: economics and mathematics; end_time 1977).
- Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
- Affiliated with Lawrence Technological University.

### Microsoft career
- Joined Microsoft on 1980-06-11 (employer record).
- Served in executive roles culminating as chief executive officer.
- Position held as chief executive officer listed with start_time 2000-01 and end_time 2014-02.
- Listed predecessor in the CEO role: Bill Gates.
- Listed successor in the CEO role: Satya Nadella.
- Microsoft described in records as an American multinational technology corporation, founded 1975-04-04 and headquartered in Redmond, United States.

### Post-Microsoft activities and ownership
- Employment record with Microsoft ends in 2014-08.
- Owner of the Los Angeles Clippers (listed among owned/operated entities).
- Affiliated with Ballmer Group Philanthropy (affiliation_string).

### Recognition and public identifiers
- Award: Knight of the Legion of Honour.
- Net worth estimates recorded by Forbes: $24.8 billion (2016-06-28), $40.1 billion (2019-01-03), $51.9 billion preferred (2019-10-01).
- Public identifiers include ISNI 0000000379160551, VIAF and other national library identifiers.
- Social media: Twitter handle Steven_Ballmer (verified account, English).

### Publications and media
- Listed in numerous authority databases and encyclopedias (Encyclopædia Britannica biography entry; multiple national library identifiers).
- Media presence includes photographs and a public signature asset in commons categories.

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## References

1. [The Fine Art Archive](https://cs.isabart.org/person/86412)
2. MusicBrainz
3. IMDb
4. SNAC
5. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. Global Conference 2022 - Speakers
8. [Source](http://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-ballmer/?list=billionaires)
9. [Source](https://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-ballmer/#1d4339e4818a)
10. [Source](https://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-ballmer/)
11. [The World's Billionaires. 2019](https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/;5/#version:static)
12. Quora
13. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/Steve_Ballmer-4NDA3)