NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Former Microsoft exec Jeff Raikes said Tuesday that he would step down as the chief executive of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, theoretically freeing himself up as Microsoft searches for a new CEO.

However, in a memo posted to the Gates Foundation site, Raikes appears to be interested in retirement, rather than returning to the spotlight.

“When Bill and Melinda approached me about this job in May 2008, we discussed a five-year commitment,” Raikes wrote. “I am proud of the work we’ve all done together in the past five years. We are having an impact on people’s lives every single day, and we are set up to keep on having an even bigger impact in the years to come.

“Now, I’m looking forward to doing some things I haven’t had time for, including my work at the Raikes Foundation, which is tackling youth and education issues,” Raikes added.