45 Years of Microsoft: 1975 - 2020

In this episode, we’ll analyse the Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Microsoft. The company that today’s one of most valuable companies in the world and that created a few billionaires and many multi millionaires along the way. Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975. They both had been childhood friends and created MS DOS in the 1980s. The company went public in 1986. The following 15 years were extremely successful paving way for Microsoft to become one of the biggest monopolies ever created. Microsoft dominated the PC era after their Windows 95’ rollout. We all know how successful Microsoft was because it soon appeared in everyone’s home. The most successful products of Microsoft history were created under Bill. Some examples are: Microsoft 95, MS DOS, Solitaire; Microsoft Office inc. Word, Powerpoint, Excel, etc; MSN Messenger; Internet Explorer; Microsoft Outlook, Hotmail. Bill Gates' very competitive nature blocked any potential competitor either by slashing prices, buying the competition or handling the web browser integration with the operating system and thus abusing monopoly power. Thus, Microsoft increasingly was put in the spotlight against the US Congress. The trials were so intense that Bill Gates decided to step down as CEO to focus on that. For his replacement, he chose his former roommate Steve Balmer. By the early 2000s, Microsoft had been severely bruised by its numerous legal battles. Microsoft would spend the next several years attempting to restore its public image. Gates’ departure as CEO, and the appointment of Steve Ballmer as his replacement, marked the beginning of a baptism of fire for Ballmer who oversaw the once-mighty company struggle with failed product launches and a fundamental shift in its identity and direction. Balmer’s reign went from 2000 to 2014. It was considered by many as the fall of Microsoft. Balmer was for a start unlucky. For starters, at trial, the district court ruled that Microsoft's actions constituted unlawful monopolization under Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.