Raikes Retires To Do Good
I've always liked Microsoft executive Jeff Raikes. Back in the '80s and early
'90s, it was nothing to have dinner, lunch or just a simple sit-down with everyone
from Gates to Ballmer to Raikes. You get to know a person over a plate or two
of Thai food, and Raikes impressed me as being a straight-shooting, overall
nice guy, and a man who could make Mensa members feel stupid.
This year, Raikes announced that he's leaving Microsoft. But he ain't going
very far: Raikes will be the new
CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This is a perfect move. The Gates Foundation doesn't just write a bunch of
checks; it carefully researches how the money could do the most good. It takes
a smart man to spend Bill's money, and Raikes is just the guy for the job.
Posted by Doug Barney on May 15, 2008