Barney's Blog

Blog archive

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


Featured

  • Nebula

    Ahead of AGI, Microsoft and OpenAI Redefine Their Partnership

    In a recapitalization announced Tuesday, OpenAI has launched a new public benefit corporation (PBC) called OpenAI Group, giving Microsoft a 27 percent ownership stake valued at approximately $135 billion.

  • Veeam Acquires Securiti AI To Unify Data Resilience and AI Security

    Veeam Software is making a strategic move into AI and data security by acquiring Securiti AI for $1.7 billion.

  • Microsoft Adds 'Mico' Virtual Assistant to Copilot in Major Fall Update

    In a significant feature update, Microsoft on Thursday said it is reshaping its Copilot AI platform with features that deepen user personalization and enable real-time group collaboration, among other perks.

  • Nutanix Partner Central Rolls Out To Boost Channel Engagement

    Nutanix on Wednesday launched a new platform, Partner Central, to give its channel partners a unified digital workspace for managing sales, tracking incentives and collaborating more effectively.