Bill Gates leaves Microsoft board to focus on philanthropy

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK – Bill Gates is stepping down from the board of Microsoft Corp., the company he co-founded in 1975 and built into the world's largest software maker, to devote more time to philanthropy. Gates, 64, has been scaling back his involvement in the company for more than a decade. Most recently he had been serving as an adviser to current Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella on technology areas including productivity, health software and artificial intelligence, and he will continue to do so."Microsoft "I feel more optimistic than ever about the progress the company is making and how it can continue to benefit the world." Gates hasn't been active in a day-to-day role since 2008, Microsoft said in a statement.