Microsofts CEO: A timeline of the companys leadership and the legacies of executives from Bill Gates to Satya Nadella
Summary
Lets break down the companys chief executives and their tenures: The Microsoft Corporation was co-founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, shortly after the pair dropped out of Harvard University. In 1998, the US Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, accusing the corporate giant of monopolistic practices by bundling Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system. The release of Windows Vista in 2007 was met with widespread criticism due to performance issues and compatibility problems, tarnishing the reputation of Microsofts flagship operating system. Combined with the introduction of the Apple iPhone in 2007 and the rapid advancement of Googles Android platform, this led to Microsoft ceding significant ground in the burgeoning mobile market that it never recovered. This monumental strategic pivot also involved embracing mobile technologies and shifting key products to subscription-based models, exemplified by the launch of Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) in June 2011.