Microsoft Board criticizes CEO Steve Ballmer for weakened smartphones, Windows - Page 2

Oh you could tell from the forced laugh and grimaced smile that he was steaming about being asked about the iPhone on an interview they granted with the aim of promoting their brand. Sounds very much like the false bravado of a person facing imminent defeat.

It always pays to be humble and show some respect for your opponents whether you're beating them or they're beating you.

Since bonuses get paid as salary, it's subject to withholding, he'll net about $871,000 of that. I suspect he'll pay 35% in Federal Withholding and 1.4% in Medicare. I assume he's already "maxed out" on Social Security payments and his 401K for the year. There's no State Tax in Washington. Don't know if there are any local income taxes where he lives. He probably doesn't have to pay Health Insurance on the bonus.

Personally, Ballmer's personality has always annoyed me and I've never liked much of what Microsoft has produced (Excel perhaps being an exception). Having said that, they remain an enormously successful company, although I agree with the critics that they don't seem to have any future vision. The fact is that in the enterprise, where the money is, they dominate in both OS and in enterprise software. Sure, there are departments using Macs and people are using iPhones and the like to link to Exchange Server, but I don’t see anyone attempting to compete with Microsoft in the areas where they dominate. Some would say Google apps is an attempt, but I don’t see it. I’m actually surprised someone else hasn’t tried to be the “third operating system” looking at what Apple has done with a Unix-based system, but attempting to be stronger in the areas where Apple is weaker.



I'm bemused by the posters who criticize Ballmer's performance as if they could do better, but can't calculate some basic arithmetic. That’s $266 million a year in dividends and the $1.37m in salary compared to wealth of $13.9 billion is like $98.56 to a person who had wealth of $100,000.



Once they’re super-rich, it’s not about the money. It’s about the power. Most of these execs are workaholics and they define themselves by their title and power. Some of these guys are so protected, they have a hard time dealing with the ordinary things in life once they leave. The only one I think of who gave it up at a relatively young age to accomplish other things is Bill Gates and I have to give him credit for that, especially since so much of his current work is with various charities supporting health and education throughout the world. I wish the other super-rich execs would follow his lead in terms of giving away large portions of their weath.

Ballmer was a great hatchet man for Gates, but Steve has no vision himself.

The Microsoft board of directors is complacent and ineffective. They should have sacked Ballmer a couple of years ago.

This is what happens when you hire your close friends to run your business with you. Any other corporate board I think would have let Balmer go as far back as the Vista debacle, and maybe even earlier. But Bill was willing to sacrifice hundreds of billions of shareholder value because he didn't want to suffer through awkward backyard barbecues when the Gates and Balmer families got together.

The best thing that happened to Apple was Balmer's appointment. Let's hope that the MS Board, in their "wisdom", make no changes.

Actually, $1,924.

People who live in Windows shouldn't throw stones (jragosta is correct).

I read that the iOS ecosystem (hardware, software, itunes sales, not sure how they cut it up) is worth more than all of MS.

Consider where MS was the day the first iPod came out. Where Apple was. Where each is now.

...how is this guy worth any percentage of his salary, let alone his bonus?

Last I checked Gates held twice as much stock as Ballmer. Interestingly enough, right before Gates left, Microsoft came out with a dividend. So Gates is still getting paid significantly for doing nothing. He also still has power managing his charitable interests, whcih mostly gives away others money. He also left when Microsoft was on top.

It is interesting to compare Ballmer and Gates with Jobs. Jobs got a buck a year. he turned down any form of compensation when he came back. He could have pushed for a dividend, which would have made him even richer. Yet, he understood having the cash hoard is in Apple's best interest.

same here -- creeped out, then laughing out loud -- well done

Here's the rub...Say Microsoft's board wants a new CEO. Who do they get? Who could they get? Surely they'd want to recruit from outside since promoting from within would surely only continue the Steve Ballmer vision?

Is Bill Gates' death wish for Microsoft.

They need to fire Ballmer and completely shake up things at Microsoft. They have the corporate world, fine.

Right now Microsoft = Wal-Mart, Old Navy, or Radio Shack. Dull, dark, depressing, and trashy

While Apple = Target, Gap. Bright, warm, elegant.

I agree if they fire him Apple and Google may have something to worry about...

But really, I think they are not fire him due the number of shares he holds in the company, he could tank the stock if they fire him.