One of the richest men in the world is getting a new job.


Bill Gates on Friday ends his tenure as ultimate boss of Microsoft to devote himself full time to his huge charitable foundation. Instead of working to solve problems in the information technology business, he'll be working to solve the world's health problems.

Since Microsoft's start in 1975, Gates has piled nearly all its hats on his head: genius programmer, technology guru, primary decision maker and ruthless leader. Analysts and scholars credit him with changing software into a money-making enterprise, rather than a pastime for hobbyists.

When Microsoft Corp. announced in 2006 that Gates planned to go part-time as board chairman so he could spend more time on his global health charity, it named two senior executives to guide the company's overall technical direction.

Gates' recent remarks, however, indicate Microsoft is looking to a much larger group of employees for big-picture guidance and long-term planning. But it's not yet clear whether the company can replicate his thinking with more traditional corporate processes -- or whether it should even be trying.

For Microsoft, the challenge come Monday morning will be how to deal with problems even Gates couldn't solve, including competition with Google.
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