Bill Gates remains power broker of Microsoft

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft who stepped down from frontline management in 2020, continues to wield significant influence within the company, according to a report by the U.S. economic outlet Business Insider on Monday. The report highlights Gates' involvement dating back to 2016 when he began contacting Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. Gates played a significant role in the collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI and Altman's return to OpenAI as CEO.

Quoting former high-ranking executives of Microsoft, the report underscores Gates' influence on strategic decisions and executive hires within the company. One former executive explained, "Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, as well as the entire senior management team, heavily rely on Gates. His opinion is sought after every major decision." Despite the recent success of Nadella as Microsoft's CEO, another former executive noted, "Gates has always been behind the scenes."

Gates was also the first outsider who learned about OpenAI's super language model, GPT-4. According to Business Insider, in 2022, Gates requested Altman create an AI model capable of passing university-level biology exams. Altman unveiled GPT-4 during an evening dinner at Gates' residence in August of that year, leaving Gates astonished by its performance. Gates also advised Nadella to integrate AI into Microsoft's product lineup, including the MS 365 suite, after witnessing GPT-4's capabilities.

The relationship between Gates and Altman continues to thrive, with Business Insider noting that the two are close friends, and Altman often takes Gates' opinions seriously and seeks his advice.


김윤진 기자 kyj@donga.com