Bill Gates just announced his resignation from Microsoft's board of directors

On March 14, Bill Gates announced in an open letter that he would quit the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway and devote more time to his own work , including philanthropy , global health and development , education, and climate change.

He also said that quitting Microsoft's board of directors does not mean quitting the company, and he will continue to stay in touch with Microsoft's leaders; he will also maintain a cooperative relationship with Buffett as co-founder of the Gates Foundation.

Gates is listed by Forbes as the world's second-richest person after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $103.6 billion.

He dropped out of Harvard University at a young age and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he founded Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen .

Their big break came in 1980, when Microsoft signed a deal with IBM to create the MS-DOS operating system.

Microsoft went public in 1986, and within a year, 31-year-old Bill Gates became the youngest self-made billionaire.

Gates has served on Berkshire's board since 2004, but spends most of his time with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Attachment: Full text of Gates' open letter

Focus on my time

I have decided to step down from both boards on which I serve, Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway, to devote more time to philanthropic causes, including global health and development, education, and climate change, which I am increasingly committed to. The leadership of Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft has never been stronger, so now is the right time to take this step.

Serving on the Berkshire board has been one of the greatest honors of my career. Warren and I are best friends, and I look forward to our continued partnership as a co-trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founder of The Giving Pledge.

For Microsoft, stepping down from the board in no way means stepping down from the company. Microsoft will always be an important part of my life, and I will continue to engage with Satya Nadella and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company's ambitious goals. I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world.

I look forward to this next phase of opportunity, a chance to maintain the friendships and partnerships that mean the most to me, continue to contribute to two companies that I am so proud of, and effectively prioritize my commitment to solving some of the world’s toughest challenges.

Source: Bill Gates LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/focusing-my-time-bill-gates/