What you need to know
- Steve Ballmer is a former Microsoft CEO.
- His net worth just crossed $101 billion.
- His heightened wealth comes in part due to Microsoft stock value gains.
Steve Ballmer, an ex-CEO of Microsoft, continues to reap rewards from the company's endeavors. Case in point: Thanks to a $20 billion boost in his net worth spurred by this year's Microsoft stock gains, Ballmer now has a $101 billion net worth according to Bloomberg (via Business Insider).
The gains in Microsoft's stock come as no surprise given how much the company has achieved in recent memory. Its Xbox division is firing on all cylinders with the best Xbox Game Pass games and the Xbox Series X, it's achieved success with U.S. government deals totaling in the double-digit billions, and of course, there's always Windows 11. The company's recent trajectory has been positive, and growing sectors such as cloud computing (where Azure comes in) seem primed to help it stay that way.
Recently, Microsoft hit the $2 trillion valuation mark for the first time. It is the second company to have managed this, second only to Apple, which achieved the feat back in August of 2020.
He is one of two former Microsoft CEOs on Bloomberg's wealthiest billionaires list, with Bill Gates being the other. Gates controls the fourth slot on the list while Ballmer occupies the ninth.
If you're new to the Microsoft enthusiast circuit, weren't around for the Ballmer days, and want some insight into who he is, check out the footage of him jumping into a lake in his underwear while Microsoft employees cheer him on. That should give you a better understanding of the ninth wealthiest man in the world.
