Ballmer, a long-time friend and associate of company co-founder and chairman Gates, began his tenure with Microsoft in 1980, just five years after it was founded.
The relationship between Ballmer and Gates began back in the 1970s when the two attended Harvard University together. Ballmer was Gates' best man when he married Melinda French in 1994.
After Gates hired Ballmer, the two reportedly had some rocky times. One anecdote had it that in the spring of 1985, as Microsoft's deadline to produce Windows slipped further and further behind, Gates called Ballmer into his office and threatened to fire him if Windows wasn't on the shelves by the end of the year (although few people believe Gates, who has a notoriously bad temper, was ever serious about firing Ballmer). Windows was ready by November.
The 43-year-old has held a number of positions within Microsoft. Prior to his role as president, Ballmer served as executive vice president of sales and support, where he drove the activities related to Microsoft's sales, support and marketing. Ballmer has also been responsible for leading Microsoft's channel efforts. He is a member of Microsoft's Business Leadership Team, which shares responsibility with Bill Gates and 12 other senior executives for broad strategic and business planning for the entire company.
"Gates had a fire in his belly for a technology division. Ballmer is Mr. Engulf and Devour. He wants to build the biggest mega-corporation known to man," one reseller told Sm@rt Reseller last year. "Ballmer will remake "Microsoft" in his own image."
Ballmer graduated from Harvard University with a degree in applied math and economics. He also attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Before joining Microsoft, he worked at Procter and Gamble Co. as an assistant product manager.
The son of Swiss immigrants, Ballmer grew up in Detroit, where his father worked for Ford.
