Watch BLUBBERING BILLION-DOLLAR BALLMER: Microsoft goodbye love-gush leaks
'You're like a fourth child to me'
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Video Footage of a teary and emotional Steve Ballmer professing his love for Microsoft at a farewell bash has hit the web.
The outgoing outgoing CEO told 13,000 workers that the company is like his fourth child, but that “children do leave the house... in this case, I guess I’m going to leave the house”.
Ballmer opened his heart to employees packed into the annual Microsoft staff meeting at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington, pausing every so often to thank them.
Microsoft’s chief executive is stepping down within the next 12 months, having announced his retirement in August. Ballmer had previously said he planned to stay until 2017.
As we noted earlier, Ballmer’s antics on the Seattle stage included bouncing around the stadium to Michael Jackson's Wanna be startin’ somethin' (also played at the company’s first employee meeting back in 1983) and Dirty Dancing's (I’ve had) the time of my life.
Now, however, we have at least partial video evidence of Ballmer’s animated address. The video surfaced on 28 September. You can watch it here:
“I just want to enjoy this for a minute,” he said, wiping tears from his cheeks, before regaining his Rottweiler cheerleading composure to holler at employees. “You work for the greatest company in the world!” to shouted replies of: “We love you!”
Choking back tears, Ballmer pressed on: “This isn’t about any one person. It’s about this company. It’s about a company that’s important, that’s forward thinking, that’s innovative, that’s ethical, that hires great people and lets them lead great lives and lets people round the world realize their full potential.”
Ballmer then closes his star turn to the soundtrack of the Dirty Dancing movie show-stopper, billed as one of the tech titan's favourite songs, while he thanked the thousands who laboured under him.
The video closes with Ballmer fist-pumping, hand-slapping and air-punching his way around the throng of adoring Microsofties before skipping out of the auditorium, pumping his arms at his side. ®
