From Harvard to Microsoft: The Rise of Steve Ballmer

What makes someone stand out as a leader? Is it their energy, ambition or the way they inspire others? Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, is a perfect example of all three. He is known for his boundless enthusiasm and booming voice. Moreover, he helped shape the tech world, overseeing major products like Windows XP, Xbox and Microsoft Office. From his early days as a Harvard student to becoming a billionaire, Steve Ballmer’s story is one of passion, risk-taking and a love of innovation. In this biography, we are going to learn more about him and what made him a unique and influential figure. Steve Ballmer was born in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a supportive family, who provided him with an environment that fostered his interests and abilities. Steve attended the International School of Brussels from 1964 to 1967 while living in Belgium. When he returned to the U.S., he took engineering lessons at Lawrence Technological University in 1973. He graduated as valedictorian from Detroit Country Day School. Did you know that he was a National Merit Scholar? Yes, Steve had scored a perfect 800 in the math section of the SAT. Today, he serves on the school’s Board of Directors. Subsequently, in 1977, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in applied mathematics and economics from Harvard University. While at Harvard, he was the manager of the football team, a member of the Fox Club and worked on both the Harvard Crimson newspaper and the Harvard Advocate literary magazine. Furthermore, he lived in the same dorm as Bill Gates and even outscored him in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Professional Life Steve Ballmer first worked at Procter & Gamble for two years as an assistant product manager. He then briefly tried his hand at writing screenplays in Hollywood. However, he left his MBA program at Stanford to join Microsoft in 1980, when he was hired by his friend Bill Gates. In time, Ballmer became the company’s president in 1998 and took over the post of CEO from Gates on January 13, 2000. He retired from the role of CEO in February 2014 and stepped down from the Board of Directors in August 2014. Additionally, he has also served as a director and partner at Accenture from 2001 to 2006. Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft on June 11, 1980, as the company’s 30th employee and the first business manager hired by Bill Gates. Over the next 20 years, Steve took on various leadership roles and oversaw areas like operating system development and sales & support. In February 1992, he became the Executive Vice President of Sales & Support. After he successfully led the development of the .NET Framework, Steve Ballmer was promoted to President of Microsoft, a position he held from 1998 to 2001.