Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is the World’s Sixth-Wealthiest Individual, Surpassing Bill Gates

Steve Ballmer has surpassed Bill Gates to become the world’s sixth-richest individual. This achievement marks the first time Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft, has outpaced the company’s co-founder in wealth.

Thanks to a fruitful partnership with OpenAI, Microsoft shares have soared 21% this year, placing the company among the top beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence boom in the U.S. stock market. The significant rise in Microsoft’s stock, reaching new record highs, has contributed to Ballmer’s newfound status.

Microsoft was established by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, with Gates at the helm until 2000. Steve Ballmer, born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1956, joined the company as its 30th employee in 1980. He succeeded Gates as CEO and retired in 2014, subsequently becoming Microsoft’s largest shareholder. Over 90% of Ballmer’s $157.2 billion net worth is tied to Microsoft shares. In contrast, Bill Gates holds a diversified portfolio. His $156.7 billion fortune is split, with half invested through Cascade Investment, created from Microsoft stock sales and dividends, and a $21 billion stake in Republic Services Inc., a waste-management firm.

Gates gradually reduced his wealth through philanthropy, establishing the $75 billion Gates Foundation with Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett. The foundation is one of the world’s largest charitable organizations, with nearly $60 billion donated by Gates and his former wife since its inception. Recently, Melinda French Gates stepped down as co-chair of the foundation and received $12.5 billion for her charitable endeavors.

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