United StatesBuilt it up
Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 as its first business manager and was its CEO from 2000 to 2014; most of his fortune is the Microsoft stock he kept, and he owns the LA Clippers.
- Forbes estimate
- $165B
- Forbes, 15 Oct 2026
- Forbes rank
- No. 9
- 15 Oct 2026
- Main company
- Microsoft
- Net worth, Bloomberg
- $185B
- Bloomberg, 16 Oct 2026
- Born
- 24 Mar 1956
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Degree in applied mathematics and economics, Harvard University; left Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1980 to join Microsoft
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
Where the fortune sits
Microsoft stock
Microsoft
software and cloud, founded 1975
No current filing cited. Forbes says he owned 4% when he retired in 2014 and has kept most of it; Bloomberg assumes about 4%, last disclosed as 333 million shares in Microsoft's 2014 proxy
None (shareholder)
Other holdings
Los Angeles Clippers
Bought in August 2014 for $2 billion; part of his Halo Sports and Entertainment with the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum
Intuit Dome and Kia Forum
Arenas in the Halo Sports and Entertainment group
Where Steve stands among 73
Everyone on the site, grouped by their answer. Steve Ballmer is outlined.
How the fortune started
Built it up
Built it up 8
Founded it 42
Inherited and grew it 12
Inherited it 6
Through marriage 5
Industry
Technology
Technology 24
Finance 10
Several industries 9
Metals and mining 6
Retail 4
Fashion and beauty 4
Media 3
Food and drink 3
Shipping 3
Crypto 2
Oil, gas and chemicals 2
Healthcare 1
Casinos and resorts 1
Property and sports 1
Giving Pledge
Not a signer
Not a signer 61
Signed 11
Not stated 1
Education
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree 27
Graduate degree 24
Left university without a degree 6
No university 5
Not stated 11
Role today
No role
No role 4
Runs the company 32
Chair, board or owner 25
Founder, no executive role 8
Retired 4
The person
- Born
- 24 Mar 1956Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Citizenship
- United States
- Lives in
- Hunts Point, Washington, United States
- Education
- Bachelor's degreeDegree in applied mathematics and economics, Harvard University; left Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1980 to join Microsoft
- Parents
- Father was a manager at Ford Motor Co.
What they give
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
- Foundation
- Ballmer GroupCo-founded with his wife Connie Ballmer in 2015; he also founded USAFacts
- Lifetime giving
- $7.4BForbes, 14 Oct 2026. Forbes: 'the Ballmers have given away more than $7.4 billion' (Steve and Connie together)
Role and record
- Role now
- No roleFormer Microsoft CEO and director; owner and chairman of the LA Clippers
- Successor
- Satya Nadella succeeded him as Microsoft CEO in February 2014
- Public office
- None found
- Legal record
- None found
