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A Bill Gates Comeback?

tech.fortune.cnn.com

1–10 of 33 posts

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#2
One prominent chief executive told Fortune he'd heard from someone close to Gates that he might be considering such a move.

It's hard to imagine a less reliable source. And that sentence is the only real news in the article!

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#3
I think the first thing journalists need to realize is that people like Gates, Jobs, and Page don't care about short-term effects on stock price. The only reason you'd care about that is if you were in a pump-and-dump.

Microsoft may not be "cool" anymore, but it's the biggest and most profitable enterprise software company and it's a business that will last. What more would Gates want?

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#4

I think the first thing journalists need to realize is that people like Gates, Jobs, and Page don't care about short-term effects on stock price. The only reason you'd care about that is if you were in a pump-and-dump. Microsoft may not be "cool" anymore, but it's the biggest and most profitable enterprise software company and it's a business that will last. What more would Gates want?

Besides that, I would be surprised if he didn't enjoy philanthropy substantially more than running a software company.

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#5
Rather see Gates start a nuclear energy company, with radical new designs that focus on safety, widely distributed, low cost, zero emissions.

He's invested in such companies, but I'd love to see him really push it as CEO. He's done/doing great philanthropic work in the 3rd world. Cheap, clean, and available electrical power would do wonders for poor countries. 1MW nuclear reactor in a shipping container, runs for 30 years with no maintenance, no harmful radioactive waste? It could happen if we stop chasing foolish "green" energy windmills and solar panels.

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#6
Without any source whatsoever other than what I can dream up (which is better than some unnamed chief executive), I think this is bullshit. Bill Gates is now looking at building a reputation worthy of Mother Teresa PLUS Andrew Carnegie; why does he need to be CEO of Microsoft again.

Maybe if the stock price was going to completely tank, which would affect his foundation, he would consider coming back. But the stock shouldn't do that; the company is still remarkably profitable.

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#7
Eh. Microsoft might not be as dominant in the post-Gates era, but their products are more user-friendly without his narrow focus, their developer relations are more cordial, their platform choices are more standards-conscious.

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#8

Rather see Gates start a nuclear energy company, with radical new designs that focus on safety, widely distributed, low cost, zero emissions. He's invested in such companies, but I'd love to see him really push it as CEO. He's done/doing great philanthropic work in the 3rd world. Cheap, clean, and available electrical power would do wonders for poor countries. 1MW nuclear reactor in a shipping container, runs for 30…

I agreed with you right up to the last sentence.

> It could happen if we stop chasing foolish "green" energy windmills and solar panels.

What? How are the two things even related at all? How are solar panels foolish? Why put "green" in quotes?

The reason that nuclear power isn't getting the attention it deserves is not that other 'alternative energy' projects get the attention. It's much more that governments and corporations are locked in to dirty energy and are having a tough time getting out.

Don't blame nuclear's current failures on solar panels.

Re: A Bill Gates Comeback?

#10
post #8

Rather see Gates start a nuclear energy company, with radical new designs that focus on safety, widely distributed, low cost, zero emissions. He's invested in such companies, but I'd love to see him really push it as CEO. He's done/doing great philanthropic work in the 3rd world. Cheap, clean, and available electrical power would do wonders for poor countries. 1MW nuclear reactor in a shipping container, runs for 30…

I agreed with you right up to the last sentence. > It could happen if we stop chasing foolish "green" energy windmills and solar panels. What? How are the two things even related at all? How are solar panels foolish? Why put "green" in quotes? The reason that nuclear power isn't getting the attention it deserves is not that other 'alternative energy' projects get the attention. It's much more that governments and cor…

I would argue that ethanol subsidies are currently a barrier to wiser energy policies, however.
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