Steve Ballmer

No, we had two problems. Before the dot-com bubble bursted, You have everybody saying, oh, maybe we should go to a dot-com company because we're going to make a lot more money. Then the bubble bursts, and everybody says, you know, I'm underwater on my options. We haven't seen the movie Oklahoma, but there's a song. Poor Judd is dead. Poor Judd is dead. Absolutely.

And that was kind of the way people felt about sort of stock compensation. And not just in our place. People were down because, you know, everybody thought they had a ton, and then they thought they had less. So yeah, it was a real employee morale issue in the early 2000s. We had to really sell this stuff in. That's a big thing I had to work on. Obviously, the antitrust issues.

And that was kind of the way people felt about sort of stock compensation. And not just in our place. People were down because, you know, everybody thought they had a ton, and then they thought they had less. So yeah, it was a real employee morale issue in the early 2000s. We had to really sell this stuff in. That's a big thing I had to work on. Obviously, the antitrust issues.

It was right up there. Yeah. I mean, it was up there. I mean, it- I think when I took over, I'm not even sure we saw a path to resolution. But having an overhang, I'll give you a story because it was after I took over as CEO. We had an executive retreat. We did it down in Bend, Oregon. I can't remember the name of the lodge. Sun River, I think. And we all fly down there.

It was right up there. Yeah. I mean, it was up there. I mean, it- I think when I took over, I'm not even sure we saw a path to resolution. But having an overhang, I'll give you a story because it was after I took over as CEO. We had an executive retreat. We did it down in Bend, Oregon. I can't remember the name of the lodge. Sun River, I think. And we all fly down there.

We rented a plane to fly everybody down there. I don't know how many people. By then, it was probably 80, 90, something like that. And the first session was supposed to be a report. We did this, a report from the field. What are people seeing out there? What's the environment? And this guy, Orlando Ayala, was running sales at the time. And he gets up and, you know, this is probably 02-ish, 01, 02.

We rented a plane to fly everybody down there. I don't know how many people. By then, it was probably 80, 90, something like that. And the first session was supposed to be a report. We did this, a report from the field. What are people seeing out there? What's the environment? And this guy, Orlando Ayala, was running sales at the time. And he gets up and, you know, this is probably 02-ish, 01, 02.

We're still in the throes of the thing. My name is Orlando Ayala. I am a proud Colombian. I am not a proud Microsofty today. Our integrity is under assault. My personal integrity feels like it's under assault. Now, he didn't blame us for having behaved badly, but he highlighted the thing that's on everybody's mind, which is it wasn't just a business issue that needed to be taken care of.

We're still in the throes of the thing. My name is Orlando Ayala. I am a proud Colombian. I am not a proud Microsofty today. Our integrity is under assault. My personal integrity feels like it's under assault. Now, he didn't blame us for having behaved badly, but he highlighted the thing that's on everybody's mind, which is it wasn't just a business issue that needed to be taken care of.

It was a culture issue. It was bothering people, particularly senior people, very personally. So I had this whole agenda, had to blow the thing up. And reorient to address that elephant in the room. It was not where I was going with this thing. Completely remap, change the breakout sessions, focus in on this issue. Bill was not happy with the whole thing.

It was a culture issue. It was bothering people, particularly senior people, very personally. So I had this whole agenda, had to blow the thing up. And reorient to address that elephant in the room. It was not where I was going with this thing. Completely remap, change the breakout sessions, focus in on this issue. Bill was not happy with the whole thing.

Bill bore the weight of the antitrust thing very hard. Because for him, I think it also felt like a personal attack. Of course. And everybody took it personally. Bill took it even more personally because he was the face of vilification, if you will. for this, but it's a reminder that it was a cultural issue to take care of, not just a market issue.

Bill bore the weight of the antitrust thing very hard. Because for him, I think it also felt like a personal attack. Of course. And everybody took it personally. Bill took it even more personally because he was the face of vilification, if you will. for this, but it's a reminder that it was a cultural issue to take care of, not just a market issue.

And people focus in on the, oh, were you moving slowly? Yeah, there was some of that too. People say, oh, I wonder if we can do this. That was an issue. The cultural issue, I think, was even bigger. So he said, yeah, we got to get this thing resolved. And then there was the order to break us up. I forget what year that was.

And people focus in on the, oh, were you moving slowly? Yeah, there was some of that too. People say, oh, I wonder if we can do this. That was an issue. The cultural issue, I think, was even bigger. So he said, yeah, we got to get this thing resolved. And then there was the order to break us up. I forget what year that was.

You were going to run one company and Bill was going to run the other company. Yeah, we never really got to the point of really planning that through. But that's what the federal government ordered. Yeah, no, they ordered it split. They didn't say who had to run which company. I think it was just that you couldn't be at the same company.

You were going to run one company and Bill was going to run the other company. Yeah, we never really got to the point of really planning that through. But that's what the federal government ordered. Yeah, no, they ordered it split. They didn't say who had to run which company. I think it was just that you couldn't be at the same company.

So... I mean, it just gives you a sense of where each of us were associated with in the mind of the company.

So... I mean, it just gives you a sense of where each of us were associated with in the mind of the company.

I'm going to give you three reasons. Reason number one, and it's material. Bill and I always, so Bill and I, and then me and Bill, when I became CEO, we always were trying to tell people, don't get our stock price too high. Don't have too big expectations for us. We never wanted people to feel like they got cheated buying our stock.