Kazuo Hirai
Hirai holding a PlayStation Vita prototype at PlayStation Meeting 2011
Born	(1960-12-22) December 22, 1960 (age 51)[1] Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	President and CEO, Sony Corporation Chairman, Sony Computer Entertainment

Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai (平井 一夫, Hirai Kazuo^?, born December 22, 1960) is the President and CEO of Sony Corporation. He also serves as Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony.^[2] He was noted by Entertainment Weekly as one of the most powerful executives in the entertainment industry.^[3] Hirai became Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment on September 1, 2011 and was replaced by Andrew House as President and Group CEO.^[4] Hirai became the President and CEO of Sony on April 1, 2012.^[5][6]

Early years[link]

Hirai was born in 1960 in Tokyo, Japan. The son of a wealthy banker, Hirai often traveled with his father across the world to California, New York, and Canada and around Japan — a trait which Hirai noted to be a major factor in his later multi-continental business success.

It was his interest in games that later brought him into the entertainment business. After graduating from the International Christian University in August 1984 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree, Hirai was hired at CBS/Sony Inc. (now Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.), where he was involved in marketing international music within Japan.

He eventually became head of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan's international business affairs office in New York.

Sony Computer Entertainment[link]

In August 1995, Hirai joined Sony's computer and video game division, Sony Computer Entertainment America.^[3] Two years later, in 1997, Hirai was credited on his first completed video game.

PlayStation[link]

Since heading up Sony Computer Entertainment America, Kazuo Hirai has been instrumental in Sony's success.^[7] He played a fundamental role in the rise of the PlayStation in the United States, and his methods of cross-promoting of the PlayStation brand took its advertising beyond merely "game" or computer oriented fields. PlayStation advertisements were placed in mainstream sports events such as the NBA, the NFL, the NHL and even NASCAR. This method of marketing has been credited with introducing large numbers of individuals to video games who would ordinarily have not considered purchasing a console.

With the release of the PlayStation 2 in 2000, Kazuo continued his success, utilizing second-party franchises such as Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper, and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs series of games. Under his leadership, SCEA continually managed to retain high profits throughout the sixth generation era.

2006-2011 SCEI management shuffle[link]

On July 3, 2006, Sony Computer Entertainment announced that Hirai had been made a vice president of its corporate executive group on July 1, 2006.^[8]

On November 30, 2006, just under two weeks after the launch of PlayStation 3, Hirai replaced Ken Kutaragi as President of Sony Computer Entertainment. While maintaining his positions at SCEA, Hirai also became chief operating officer of SCEI. Kutaragi himself was promoted to chairman of SCEI, and remained chief executive officer of the group.^[9]

On April 26, 2007, it was announced that Hirai will be promoted to President and Group CEO of SCEI, replacing Ken Kutaragi who would retire and instead take up the role of Honorary Chairman.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Sony[link]

On April 1, 2009, Sony’s electronics and game businesses were merged and reconfigured as two major groups: the Consumer Products & Devices Group (CPDG) and the Networked Products & Services Group (NPSG). Hirai was appointed as Corporate Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of Sony Corporation, concurrently serving as president of the NPSG. He has overseen all development, production and marketing activities at the NPSG, comprising Sony's game (i.e. SCEI & Sony Online Entertainment), personal computer (VAIO), networked mobile (including Walkman) and network service (including online distributions of music, video, books, etc.) businesses and new business incubation projects.^[14][15]

On April 1, 2011, Sony's consumer electronics, game, and networked service businesses were reorganized into one group, named the "Consumer Products & Services Group." Hirai was promoted to Representative Corporate Executive Officer and Executive Deputy President of Sony Corporation. He oversaw the Consumer Products & Services Group.^[2][16] Hirai was speculated to become the successor to Howard Stringer, the current sitting president and CEO of Sony Corporation, who was then expected to step down in 2013.^[17]

On February 1, 2012, Sony announced that Hirai has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2012.^[18] He is also expected to be appointed to the Board at the June shareholders meeting.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Kazuo Hirai

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kazuo Hirai

• Official profile
• Kaz Hirai's profile at MobyGames

Interviews

• Kikizo video interview
• Gamespot video interview - Playstation 3 pre launch
• Gamespot video interview - TGS 2006
• 1UP.com interview

v t e Sony Corporation Primary businesses Sony Corporation (electronics & holding of the Sony group) · Sony Music Entertainment (music) · Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures and television) · Sony Computer Entertainment (video games) · Sony Financial Holdings (financial services; 60%) · Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation Technologies and brands α · Betacam · Blu-ray · BRAVIA · CD · Cyber-shot · Dash · Dream Machine · DVD · Handycam · HDCAM/HDCAM-SR · LocationFree · Memory Stick · MiniDisc · MiniDV · mylo · Reader · S/PDIF · SDDS · SXRD · Sony Tablet · UMD · VAIO · Video8/Hi8/Digital8 · Walkman · Walkman Phones · XDCAM · Xplōd · HMZ-T1 Historical products AIBO · CV-2000 · DAT · Betamax · Sony CLIÉ · Discman · JumboTron · Lissa · Mavica · NEWS · Qualia · Rolly · TR-55 · Trinitron · U-matic · Watchman · WEGA Electronics Sony EMCS · Sony Electronics (subsidiary in the US) · Sony Creative Software · Sony Mobile Communications  · S-LCD (50% minus 1 share) · Sony Mobile Display · Sony Optiarc · Sharp Display Products (7%) · Aiwa (former) Sony Music Entertainment Sony/ATV Music Publishing (50%) · Columbia Records · Epic Records · RCA Records · Sony Music Nashville (Arista Nashville, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, RCA Records Nashville) · Provident Label Group · Verity Gospel Music Group · Sony Music Latin · Sony Masterworks  · Legacy Recordings  · RED Distribution  · IODA  · Syco Music  · Syco TV  · Syco Film  · Sony Music Australia · Sony Music Japan  · Gracenote · Aniplex · A-1 Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (Columbia Pictures · Sony Pictures Classics · Screen Gems · TriStar Pictures · Triumph Films) · Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Destination Films · Stage 6 Films · Affirm Films) · Sony Pictures Television Group (Adelaide Productions · Culver Entertainment · Embassy Row · 2waytraffic · Lean-M  · Gogglebox Entertainment · Victory Television · Silver River Productions · Starling · Huaso · Floresta · Teleset) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Sony Wonder · Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group · Sony Pictures Digital (Sony Pictures Imageworks · Sony Pictures Animation · Sony Pictures Mobile) · Sony Pictures Studios · Sony Pictures Consumer Marketing (Sony Pictures Consumer Products · Sony Pictures Loot) U.S. networks Sony Movie Channel · GSN (40%), joint venture with DirecTV · FEARnet HD (joint venture with Comcast and Lionsgate) · 3net (joint venture with Discovery Communications and IMAX) International networks Sony Entertainment Television (Asia, South East Asia, India, Latin America, South Africa, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Baltic and United Kingdom) · AXN · AXN HD · AXN HD+1 · AXN Asia · AXN India · AXN Pakistan · AXN White · AXN Crime · AXN Black · AXN Mystery · AXN Sci Fi · AXN Spin · Sony Aath · Multi Screen Media · Animax · Animax Asia · Animax India · Animax Pakistan · Animax Korea · Animax Eastern Europe · BeTV · Sony Spin · SET One · SET Max · Sony SIX · Sony MIX · SET PIX · SAB TV · Men&Movies · Movies4Men Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment · PlayStation · PSP · PlayStation Vita · Cellius (49%) · Square Enix (8.25%) · Sony Imagesoft (defunct) Online distribution platforms Sony Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited · Video Unlimited · PlayStation Network) · FEARnet · The Minisode Network · Crackle Financial services Sony Financial Holdings · Sony Life Insurance · Sony Assurance · Sony Bank · Sony Bank Securities Other businesses So-net Entertainment · Sony Broadcast & Professional Research Laboratories · Sony Sendai Other assets Sony Corporation of America (umbrella company in the US) · Other subsidiaries Joint ventures Sony/ATV · FeliCa Networks · Vevo · Cellius (49%) · Sharp Display Products (7.04%) Key personnel Kazuo Hirai · Masaru Ibuka · Nobuyuki Idei · Yasuo Kuroki · Ken Kutaragi · Michael Lynton · Akio Morita · Norio Ohga · Amy Pascal · Howard Stringer  · Nicole Seligman Category ·  Commons ·  Wikinews

Sir Howard Stringer
Stringer at opening night of the 2009 Metropolitan Opera
Born	(1942-02-19) February 19, 1942 (age 70) Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Occupation	Chairman of Sony Corporation
Net worth	$60 million[1]
Spouse	Jennifer A. Kinmond Patterson

Sir Howard Stringer (born February 19, 1942) is a Welsh-born American businessman. He is the chairman and former CEO of Sony Corporation.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Stringer was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of Marjorie Mary (née Pook), a Welsh schoolteacher, and Harry Stringer, an English sergeant in the Royal Air Force.^[3][4][5] He emigrated to the United States in 1965, and drafted into United States Army during the Vietnam War. Stringer became a naturalized citizen in 1985 and now holds dual US-UK citizenship.^[5] His younger brother, Rob Stringer, was chairman of Sony Music Label Group^{[citation needed]}. In 1978, Stringer married Jennifer A. Kinmond Patterson. They have two children.

Stringer attended Oundle School in Northamptonshire and received a Master of Arts from the University of Oxford in Modern History.^[6] He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on December 31, 1999.

Career[link]

Stringer had a 30-year career at CBS, where he was a journalist, producer and senior executive. He served as president of CBS from 1988 to 1995, where he was responsible for all the broadcast activities of its entertainment, news, sports, radio and television stations.^[6]

Highlights of his career at CBS[link]

• Executive producer of "CBS Reports" (1976–1981)^[7]
• Executive producer of "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" (1981–1984)^[7]
• President of CBS News (1986–1988)^[7]
• President of CBS, Inc. (1988–1995)^[7]
• He won nine Emmys at CBS for the following programs: "The Rockefellers", "The Palestinians", "A Tale Of Two Irelands", "The Defense Of The United States", "The Boat People", "The Boston Goes To China", "The Fire Next Door", and "The CIA's Secret Army".^[6]

TELE-TV[link]

Sir Howard Stringer left CBS in 1995 to set up TELE-TV, a media and technology company formed by US telecoms Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, Pacific Telesis, and Creative Artists Agency in February 1995. He left two years later to join Sony.^[8]

Sony[link]

Howard Stringer in 2008

Stringer began work at Sony in May 1997 as president of its US operational unit (Sony Corporation of America). He was made a Sony group executive officer in May 1998.^[8]

Since June 2005, he had been chairman and CEO of Sony overseeing the entire businesses of Sony, including its media and electronics subsidiaries such as the Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Financial Holdings. On April 1, 2009, he became president of Sony Corporation and ousted Ryoji Chubachi in what was seen as prelude to broader corporate restructuring.^[9] Stringer also serves as executive chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Corporation of America. He has been president of Sony Broadband Entertainment Corporation since March 2000.^[6]

Stringer previously was head of the Sony Corporation of America and was promoted to the company's top position as the corporation overall was having trouble with losses and was facing increasing competition from rivals like Samsung, Sharp, Apple Inc. and Panasonic. With his experience primarily in the media industry, Stringer was responsible for the media business of Sony in the U.S. by overseeing the release of the Spider-Man movie series, among others.^{[citation needed]}

In his capacity as CEO of Sony, Stringer principally resides in Tokyo, though he frequently visits New York City, Beijing, Hong Kong, Los Angeles for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, and London.^[10]

On February 1, 2012, Sony announced that Stringer will step down as President and CEO, effective April 1, to be replaced by Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President and Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment.^[11] Stringer will remain chairman of Sony Corporation until June, whereupon he will become Chairman of the Board.

[edit] Awards and honors^[6]

• He received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement while serving in the Republic of Vietnam.
• He earned nine Emmys from 1974 to 1976 as a writer, director and producer.
• In 1996, he was awarded the First Amendment Leadership Award by the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation.
• In 1996, he was also inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.
• In May 1999, he received the UJA-Federation of New York's Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award.
• In November 1999, he was inducted into the Royal Television Society's Welsh Hall of Fame.
• On December 31, 1999 he received the title of Knight Bachelor from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
• In February 2007, the Museum of Television and Radio awarded him with its Visionary Award for Innovative Leadership in Media and Entertainment.
• He has been honored by Lincoln Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The New York Hall of Science and The American Theatre Wing.
• He received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Glamorgan in Wales and University of the Arts London.
• In 2000, he received an honorary fellowship from Merton College, Oxford.
• In 2001, he received an honorary fellowship from Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sony

• "Howard String biography" - Sony Corporation website

v t e Sony Corporation Primary businesses Sony Corporation (electronics & holding of the Sony group) · Sony Music Entertainment (music) · Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures and television) · Sony Computer Entertainment (video games) · Sony Financial Holdings (financial services; 60%) · Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation Technologies and brands α · Betacam · Blu-ray · BRAVIA · CD · Cyber-shot · Dash · Dream Machine · DVD · Handycam · HDCAM/HDCAM-SR · LocationFree · Memory Stick · MiniDisc · MiniDV · mylo · Reader · S/PDIF · SDDS · SXRD · Sony Tablet · UMD · VAIO · Video8/Hi8/Digital8 · Walkman · Walkman Phones · XDCAM · Xplōd · HMZ-T1 Historical products AIBO · CV-2000 · DAT · Betamax · Sony CLIÉ · Discman · JumboTron · Lissa · Mavica · NEWS · Qualia · Rolly · TR-55 · Trinitron · U-matic · Watchman · WEGA Electronics Sony EMCS · Sony Electronics (subsidiary in the US) · Sony Creative Software · Sony Mobile Communications  · S-LCD (50% minus 1 share) · Sony Mobile Display · Sony Optiarc · Sharp Display Products (7%) · Aiwa (former) Sony Music Entertainment Sony/ATV Music Publishing (50%) · Columbia Records · Epic Records · RCA Records · Sony Music Nashville (Arista Nashville, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, RCA Records Nashville) · Provident Label Group · Verity Gospel Music Group · Sony Music Latin · Sony Masterworks  · Legacy Recordings  · RED Distribution  · IODA  · Syco Music  · Syco TV  · Syco Film  · Sony Music Australia · Sony Music Japan  · Gracenote · Aniplex · A-1 Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (Columbia Pictures · Sony Pictures Classics · Screen Gems · TriStar Pictures · Triumph Films) · Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Destination Films · Stage 6 Films · Affirm Films) · Sony Pictures Television Group (Adelaide Productions · Culver Entertainment · Embassy Row · 2waytraffic · Lean-M  · Gogglebox Entertainment · Victory Television · Silver River Productions · Starling · Huaso · Floresta · Teleset) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Sony Wonder · Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group · Sony Pictures Digital (Sony Pictures Imageworks · Sony Pictures Animation · Sony Pictures Mobile) · Sony Pictures Studios · Sony Pictures Consumer Marketing (Sony Pictures Consumer Products · Sony Pictures Loot) U.S. networks Sony Movie Channel · GSN (40%), joint venture with DirecTV · FEARnet HD (joint venture with Comcast and Lionsgate) · 3net (joint venture with Discovery Communications and IMAX) International networks Sony Entertainment Television (Asia, South East Asia, India, Latin America, South Africa, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Baltic and United Kingdom) · AXN · AXN HD · AXN HD+1 · AXN Asia · AXN India · AXN Pakistan · AXN White · AXN Crime · AXN Black · AXN Mystery · AXN Sci Fi · AXN Spin · Sony Aath · Multi Screen Media · Animax · Animax Asia · Animax India · Animax Pakistan · Animax Korea · Animax Eastern Europe · BeTV · Sony Spin · SET One · SET Max · Sony SIX · Sony MIX · SET PIX · SAB TV · Men&Movies · Movies4Men Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment · PlayStation · PSP · PlayStation Vita · Cellius (49%) · Square Enix (8.25%) · Sony Imagesoft (defunct) Online distribution platforms Sony Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited · Video Unlimited · PlayStation Network) · FEARnet · The Minisode Network · Crackle Financial services Sony Financial Holdings · Sony Life Insurance · Sony Assurance · Sony Bank · Sony Bank Securities Other businesses So-net Entertainment · Sony Broadcast & Professional Research Laboratories · Sony Sendai Other assets Sony Corporation of America (umbrella company in the US) · Other subsidiaries Joint ventures Sony/ATV · FeliCa Networks · Vevo · Cellius (49%) · Sharp Display Products (7.04%) Key personnel Kazuo Hirai · Masaru Ibuka · Nobuyuki Idei · Yasuo Kuroki · Ken Kutaragi · Michael Lynton · Akio Morita · Norio Ohga · Amy Pascal · Howard Stringer  · Nicole Seligman Category ·  Commons ·  Wikinews

Steve Ballmer
Ballmer in 2010.
Born	(1956-03-24) March 24, 1956 (age 56) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Residence	Hunts Point, Washington. U.S.
Alma mater	Harvard University (A.B.) Stanford University (Dropout)
Occupation	CEO of Microsoft
Home town	Farmington Hills, Michigan, U.S.
Salary	$1,351,121 (2010)[1]
Net worth	US$ 15.7 billion (2012)[2]
Awards	Legion of Honour[3]
Website
Steve Ballmer - Microsoft.com

Steven Anthony "Steve" Ballmer (born March 24, 1956)^[4] is the chief executive officer of Microsoft, having held that post since January 2000.^[4] As of 2012^[update], his personal wealth is estimated at $15.7 billion, ranking number 19 on the Forbes 400.^[2]

Early life[link]

Ballmer was born in Detroit, Michigan to a Swiss American father and a Jewish American mother.^[5] He grew up in the community of Farmington Hills, Michigan. In 1973, he attended college prep and engineering classes at Lawrence Technological University and graduated from Detroit Country Day School, a private college preparatory school in Beverly Hills, Michigan, with a perfect score of 800 on the mathematical section of the SAT. ^{[6] [7]} He now sits on the school's board of directors. In 1977, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a A.B. in mathematics and economics.

At college, Ballmer managed the football team, worked on The Harvard Crimson newspaper as well as the Harvard Advocate, and lived down the hall from fellow sophomore Bill Gates. He then worked for two years as an assistant product manager at Procter & Gamble, where he shared an office with Jeffrey R. Immelt, who later became CEO of General Electric.^[8] In 1980, he dropped out of the Stanford Graduate School of Business to join Microsoft.^[9]

Microsoft[link]

Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft on June 11, 1980, and became Microsoft's 30th employee, the first business manager hired by Gates.^[10]

Ballmer was initially offered a salary of $50,000 as well as a percentage of ownership of the company. When Microsoft was incorporated in 1981, Ballmer owned 8 percent of the company. During the subsequent 20 years, Ballmer headed several Microsoft divisions, including operations, operating systems development, and sales and support. In January 2000, he was officially named Chief Executive Officer.^[4] As CEO, Ballmer handled company finances, however Gates still retained control of the "technological vision". He served as President of Microsoft from July 1998 to February 2001, having previously served as Executive Vice President, Sales and Support since February 1992. Ballmer led Microsoft's development of the .NET Framework.^[11]

In 2003, Ballmer sold 8.3% of his shareholdings, leaving him with a 4% stake in the company.^[12] The same year, Ballmer replaced Microsoft's employee stock options program.

In 2009, and for the first time ever since Bill Gates left Microsoft as full-time chairman, Ballmer made the opening keynote at CES.

Ballmer has also served as Director of Accenture Ltd. as well as a General Partner of Accenture SCA since October 2001.

Persona[link]

Ballmer is known for his energetic and exuberant persona, which is meant to motivate employees and partners.^[13] His flamboyant stage appearances at Microsoft events are widely circulated on the Internet as viral videos.^[14][15][16] One widely circulated video, captured at a developers' conference, features a perspiring Ballmer chanting the word "developers".^[17][18]

Bill Gates steps down[link]

The Wall Street Journal has reported that there was tension surrounding the 2000 transition of authority from Bill Gates to Ballmer. Things became so bitter that, on one occasion, Gates stormed out of a meeting in a huff after a shouting match in which Ballmer jumped to the defense of several colleagues, according to an individual present at the time. After the exchange, Ballmer seemed "remorseful", the person said. Once Gates leaves, "I'm not going to need him for anything. That's the principle," Ballmer said. "Use him, yes, need him, no."^[19]

On competing companies and software[link]

Apple[link]

Speaking at a conference in NYC in 2009, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer criticized Apple's pricing, saying; 'Now I think the tide has turned back the other direction (against Apple),' Ballmer said. 'The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment — same piece of hardware — paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be.'^[20]

Free and open source software[link]

He has referred to the free software Linux kernel as a "cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches."^[21] Ballmer used the notion of "viral" licensing terms to express his concern over the fact that the GNU General Public License (GPL) employed by such software requires that all derivative software be under the GPL or a compatible license.

Google[link]

In 2005, Mark Lucovsky alleged in a sworn statement to a Washington state court that Ballmer became enraged upon hearing that Lucovsky was about to leave Microsoft for Google, picked up his chair, and threw it across his office. Referring to Google CEO Eric Schmidt (who previously worked for competitors Sun and Novell), Ballmer vowed to "kill Google" in an expletive-laden tirade^[22] then resumed trying to persuade Lucovsky to stay at Microsoft. Ballmer has described characterizations of the incident as a "gross exaggeration of what actually took place".

During a Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco(2011) he said: "You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone and you do to use an Android phone…It is hard for me to be excited about the Android phones." ^[23][24]

Sports[link]

Steve Ballmer taking a seat at the KeyArena to watch the Seattle SuperSonics

On March 6, 2008, Seattle's Mayor announced that a local ownership group involving Ballmer made a "game changing" commitment to invest $150 million in cash toward a $300 million renovation of Key Arena and were ready to purchase the Seattle SuperSonics in order to keep them in the City of Seattle. However, this initiative failed, and the Sonics have since relocated to Oklahoma City, now performing as Oklahoma City Thunder.^[25]

Media portrayals[link]

• Bad Boy Ballmer: The Man Who Rules Microsoft (2002), Fredric Alan Maxwell, ISBN 0-06-621014-3 (unauthorized biography)
• The 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley features Ballmer as a major character; he is played by actor John DiMaggio.

Wealth[link]

Ballmer was the second person after Roberto Goizueta to become a billionaire in U.S. dollars based on stock options received as an employee of a corporation in which he was neither a founder nor a relative of a founder. Ballmer is the 44th richest person in the world according to Forbes, with an estimated wealth of $15.7 billion.^[26] While CEO of Microsoft in 2009, Ballmer earned a total compensation of $1,276,627 which included a base salary of $665,833 a cash bonus of $600,000, no stock or options, and other compensation of $10,794.^[27]

Personal life[link]

In 1990, he married Connie Snyder. They have three sons.^[28]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Steve Ballmer

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steve Ballmer

• Corporate biography
• Forbes World's Richest People listing
• South China Morning Post audio interview
• Steve Ballmer Playlist Appearance on WMBR's Dinnertime Sampler radio show February 23, 2005
• Forbes.com's Billionaire List