Microsoft Investors Call For Bill Gates To Step Down As Chairman

rjmarvin writes "Now that Ballmer is on his way out, flak for Microsoft's middling stock prices and lagging mobile innovation is starting to land on Bill Gates himself. Three of the company's top 20 investors are lobbying the Board of Directors, pressing Gates to step down as chairman. The stockholders believe his presence would handcuff the next CEO's ability to re-make the company with new strategies and sweeping changes. They also think Gates wields a disproportionate amount of power relative to his financial stake and day-to-day activity within the company. No word yet from Gates or the board on this internal strife."

Misleading Headline

[Frosty Piss]

The headline is a bit misleading.

THREE of 20 of the top investers have demanded Gates step down.

Non-news.

Re:Bill Gates' response:

[KiloByte]

or to have them ritually [newscientist.com] mutilated [salon.com].

Re:Misleading Headline

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

They also think Gates wields a disproportionate amount of power relative to his financial stake and day-to-day activity within the company.

Gates holds 4.5% of the company stock, and the "three investors" combined hold about 5%. Sounds like a pecker contest to me.

Re:Misleading Headline

[Frosty Piss]

Um ya... actually the words "Microsoft Investors" in the title imply any integer above 1.

Yes, well, the headline implies more than a few.

Actually, *I* own 100 shares. So if *I* as an "investor" seek Gates' removal, does that warrant a story at Slashdot?

The entire group of 20 investors onws ONLY 0.5% more than Gates holds all by himself. So what percentage do you think 3 of those 20 owns?

The headline *IS* misleading.

Re: Bill Gates' response:

[disposable60]

The shareholders define "value" as the stock price at the end of the next reporting period. As soon as it's above their (buy-in price + comissions), they'll sell. Zero interest in where the stock will be five or ten years from now. Of course, I'm only talking about the big, institutional holders. The employees and 401k-holders will be farked.

Re:Fools

[MouseTheLuckyDog]

You mean the memo that came about three years too late after BG realized the big booboo he made in blowing off the internet?
The action of which started antitrust violations so egregious that the DoJ could no longer ignore MS's antitrust actions and had to join in with other people to sue them.

The suit which also brought EU regulators forwards and had so many ramifications on MS that it is even being felt today in a major way.

Re:Or prevent them...

[occasional_dabbler]

Well, you're clearly from the US else you would realize the rest of the World is really starting to like what Elop has done with Nokia [kantarworldpanel.com]

As a result, he is odds-on favourite [ibtimes.co.uk] to become the new CEO

That said, your second point is exactly right. It's in nobody's interests (except these three shareholders) to put Microsoft in the hands of these asset stripping vampires.

Re:Misleading Headline

[cbhacking]

Um, no. You are wrong, the people who modded you Informative are wrong, and you are part of the problem here. The three investors are part of a group of 20 that collectively hold 5%. Unless those three are an incredibly disproportionately large portion of the group of 20, their combined percentage will be tiny relative to what Gates holds.

Re: Killing the goose that lays the golden egg

[symbolset]

It takes a visionary painter to invent selling paintings. People will give Gates credit for a lot of things he does not deserve, and I am not one of those. But he did pretty much invent the commercial software market, for good or ill.