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Gates Plans to Log Off as Scheduled

Despite most volatile market ever, Microsoft chairman will bow out

By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 30, 2007 8:03 AM CDT

(Newser) – Bill Gates says that, despite a surge in competition from all sides of the market, his phased exit from Microsoft has been bug-free so far. His two-year transition period halfway done, the chairman and former CEO says that his handpicked successors have been successfully picking up the slack. But doubters say Gates can't fully disengage at such a critical time.

New players like Google are rising to challenge the software giant's dominance, and, despite rising profits, Microsoft's stock has stayed flat since the dot-com era. “It’s very hard for someone at his age, who has built a company with that much success and with continuing challenges to really walk away,” says a Harvard business school professor.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates arrives at a party at Allen and Co.'s annual media conference Friday, July 13, 2007, in Sun Valley, Idaho.  (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates arrives at a party at Allen and Co.'s annual media conference Friday, July 13, 2007, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)   (Associated Press)
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates speaks to the Imagine Cup finalists during a meeting, Tuesday, June, 26, 2007, in Redmond, Wash. More than 40 university students from 10 countries qualified for the Imagine Cup final, a world technology competition. (AP Photo/Andrei Pungovschi)
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates speaks to the Imagine Cup finalists during a meeting, Tuesday, June, 26, 2007, in Redmond, Wash. More than 40 university students from 10 countries qualified for the Imagine...   (Associated Press)
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates listens to the Imagine Cup finalists during a meeting, Tuesday, June, 26, 2007, in Redmond, Wash. More than 40 university students from 10 countries qualified for the Imagine Cup final, a world technology competition. (AP Photo/Andrei Pungovschi)
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates listens to the Imagine Cup finalists during a meeting, Tuesday, June, 26, 2007, in Redmond, Wash. More than 40 university students from 10 countries qualified for the Imagine...   (Associated Press)
Bill Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp, coughs.
Bill Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp, coughs.   (Getty Images (by Event))
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