Bill Gates Has Stepped Down From The Microsoft Board.JPG

It's been twelve years since Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates stepped away from his full-time post at Microsoft, and six years since he resigned as Microsoft's board chair. Now, he's announced he's stepping down from the board entirely. Speaking via a post on LinkedIn, Mr. Gates explained the reasons behind his decision.

I have made the decision to step down from both of the public boards on which I serve – Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway – to dedicate more time to philanthropic priorities including global health and development, education, and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change.

The post goes on to mention that he won't be stepping away from the company completely. "Microsoft will always be an important part of my life’s work," he indicates. "I will continue to be engaged with Satya (Nadella) and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company’s ambitious goals."

Bill Gates played a major role in bringing the original Xbox to fruition, of course. He later famously went on to showcase the system alongside The Rock at CES 2001 -- you can see that footage of that here (it's worth a watch!).

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[source linkedin.com, via wired.com]