Bill Gates is stepping down from the Microsoft board

Bill Gates has announced he's stepping down from his role on the Microsoft board. 

In a blog post published on LinkedIn, the creator of Windows and co-founder of Microsoft, announced that he plans on focusing his time and efforts on philanthropic priorities 'including global health and development, education, and my increasing engagement in tackling climate change.'

In the statement, he explains that 'the leadership at the Berkshire companies and Microsoft has never been stronger, so the time is right to take this step.'

Gates previously took leave from his role as head of Microsoft in 2008, moving to an advisory role on the board instead, so it's not an entirely unexpected move. His LinkedIn post also suggests that he's not exactly going far, pointing out that 'stepping down from the board in no way means stepping away from the company.' Microsoft itself followed up that statement by pointing out that Gates will be remaining as a technical advisor for the firm. 

In the LinkedIn post, Gates also went onto say that 'Microsoft will always be an important part of my life’s work and I will continue to be engaged with Satya and the technical leadership to help shape the vision and achieve the company’s ambitious goals. I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world.'

Ending the blog post, Gates notes that he is 'looking forward to this next phase as an opportunity to maintain the friendships and partnerships that have meant the most to me, continue to contribute to two companies of which I am incredibly proud, and effectively prioritize my commitment to addressing some of the world’s toughest challenges.'

We can't blame him. At 65, Gates has accomplished a world changing amount in his life, creating Windows being the most obvious, but with many more achievements along the way. In recent times, he's increasingly discussed more about plans to change the world in other ways, such as via the foundation he set up with his wife - the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The organisation describes itself as 'impatient optimists working to reduce inequality', so we're assuming his impatience has grown too much in recent times and change feels necessary. 

Besides stepping down from the Microsoft board, Gates is also stepping down from the Berkshire Hathaway board, the conglomerate run by Warren E Buffett.