... to focus more on his philanthropic roles
The co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft, billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, is stepping down from Microsoft's board of directors. Bill Gates is not only stepping down from the board of directors at the company he co-founded in 1975 but also his role on the board of Berkshire Hathaway the holding (investment) company -- mostly owned and controlled by Warren Baffet, to focus more on his philanthropic activities.
This is not a very big surprise because he resigned from his role as CEO of Microsoft 20 years ago (2000) and then his full-time role there 8 years after (2008) for the same reason. Bill Gates is heavily focused on making the world a better place by investing so much time and resources in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation whose primary aims are to enhance healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, expand technology and education. He has also developed some interest in climate change too.
Though this decision was inevitable, some may say the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spreading quickly across the world, forced the decision to be made sooner rather than later so he could dedicate more time to aid in the fight to curb the spread, in-line with the Gate Foundation's aims but he virtually isn't leaving Microsoft and will still be a "technology advisor" to current CEO Satya Nadella and other executives.
"The board has benefited from Bill’s leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill’s ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward. I am grateful for Bill’s friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him to realize our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more."
- Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
Source & more: Microsoft