Bill Gates steps down from Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway public boards

Twenty years ago, Bill Gates stepped down as CEO of Microsoft and founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with his wife. Six years ago he stepped down from the position of chairman of Microsoft's board of directors. Gates, in a post on LinkedIn has now announced that he has decided to step down from both the Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway boards of directors. Gates says that he will still work with Microsoft's technical leadership in order to help shape the company's vision. However, he hopes that by stepping down from the board he will be able to dedicate more of his time to his philanthropic efforts.

Gates' statement comes on the heels of the Gates Foundation's announcement that it is involved in efforts to "identify, assess, develop, and scale-up treatments" for COVID-19. Gates personally thanked Wellcome Trust and Mastercard for partnering with his foundation on this effort. Given the rapidly growing threat of COVID-19, his involvement in this effort is in line with his closing statement in the LinkedIn post:

I am looking forward to this next phase as an opportunity to maintain the friendships and partnerships that have meant the most to me, continue to contribute to two companies of which I am incredibly proud, and effectively prioritize my commitment to addressing some of the world's toughest challenges.

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