Microsoft Bad Boy Ballmer

Author: Maxwell
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: "Microsoft's Bad Boy Ballmer" was written at the suggestion of biographer Carol Felsenthal, a Chicago-based biographer. Without her, there would be no book; in a sense, she is its mother. The book also received the help of literary agent Mary Lasoff, who guided my writing plan while preventing me from renaming a certain landmark in New York as the Mary Statue. My cheerleader leader Jane Franklin and her husband, Ben A. Franklin (former New York Times reporter and editor of the Washington Spectator), helped me find the right expression when I was struggling to articulate my thoughts. Award-winning biographer Max Holland read the manuscript of this book and provided sharp comments. The brave and investigative writer I know, Dan W. Molody, offered valuable advice—for any investigation, his website Moldea.com is highly recommended. I want to give a long standing ovation to my stubborn chief research assistant, Lyor Barren. Barren is not only a great writer but also completed the 1,000-mile Iditarod dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome. He deeply understands that this long journey, though arduous, is extremely worthwhile. In this enlightening biography, Frederick Maxwell provides a comprehensive yet controversial story about Ballmer—the most influential figure in the tech industry. The book reveals both a "good boy" Ballmer—a diligent and well-behaved child who focused on studying in Birmingham and Michigan—and a "bad boy" Ballmer—a ruthless businessman, a monster who screamed in court and tore his vocal cords. The book also reexamines the long-standing "marriage" between Bill Gates and Ballmer, these two peculiar figures, revealing how they together shaped the self and the ego of Microsoft. A book about the most authoritative relationship between Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, he is the executive president of Microsoft, the fourth-richest person in the United States, and Bill Gates' "darling"—Steve Ballmer.