Bill Gates resigned from Microsoft’s board on March 13, 2020, but did not leave every role at the company: Microsoft said he would continue as a technology adviser to CEO Satya Nadella and other leaders. The company attributed his decision to a desire to devote more time to philanthropy.
What changed when Gates resigned?
Gates left Microsoft’s board of directors effective March 13, 2020, the same day Microsoft announced the departure. The company said its board would then have 12 members; that is the board count reported in the March 2020 announcement, not a current count.
His resignation was from the board, not from his advisory role. Microsoft said Gates would remain a Technology Advisor to Nadella and other company leaders.
Why did Gates leave the board?
Microsoft said Gates wanted to spend more time on philanthropic priorities, including global health, development, education and climate change. That is the company’s stated explanation; the available sources do not independently establish every factor behind his decision.
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At the time, Nadella said: “It’s been a tremendous honor and privilege to have worked with and learned from Bill over the years.”
How did this fit with Gates’s earlier Microsoft roles?
- June 27, 2008: Microsoft said Gates transitioned out of a day-to-day role to focus more on work with his foundation.
- February 4, 2014: His tenure as Microsoft board chair ended.
- March 13, 2020: He resigned from the board while continuing as a technology adviser, according to Microsoft.
These were separate changes: the 2008 shift ended his day-to-day role, the 2014 change ended his board chair tenure, and the 2020 resignation ended his board membership.
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