Steve Ballmer Net Worth

Steve Ballmer net worth – What is the net worth of Steve Ballmer? Steve Ballmer is an American businessman, investor, and the former Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft. With a net worth of $149 billion, he is consistently ranked among the top ten richest people in the world. Ballmer was Microsoft’s 30th employee and led the tech giant from 2000 to 2014. Following his retirement, he purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, transforming the NBA franchise into one of the most valuable sports teams globally. He is also a major philanthropist, known for his data-driven approach to charitable giving through the Ballmer Group.

What is Steve Ballmer’s Net Worth?

As of 2026, Steve Ballmer has an estimated net worth of US $149 billion. Unlike many other tech billionaires who founded their companies, Ballmer amassed his fortune as an employee, having negotiated a lucrative equity compensation package when he joined Microsoft in 1980. He remains the largest individual shareholder of Microsoft, owning an estimated 4% of the company. His wealth has surged in recent years due to Microsoft’s dominance in cloud computing and AI, as well as the skyrocketing value of the Los Angeles Clippers, now valued at over $5.5 billion.

Net Worth Comparison with Other Tech Billionaires

Billionaire	Estimated Net Worth
Steve Ballmer	$149 Billion
Elon Musk	$482 Billion
Larry Page	$262 Billion
Larry Ellison	$253 Billion
Jeff Bezos	$245 Billion
Mark Zuckerberg	$222 Billion
Bill Gates	$152 Billion

Steve Ballmer Net Worth Growth Timeline

Year	Net Worth
2018	$38.4 Billion
2020	$52.7 Billion
2022	$91.4 Billion
2024	$121.0 Billion
2026	$149.0 Billion

Who is Steve Ballmer?

Steven Anthony Ballmer was born on March 24, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan. He is a high-energy business magnate known for his boisterous personality and intense leadership style. Ballmer met Bill Gates at Harvard University, where they lived down the hall from each other. After dropping out of Stanford Business School to join Microsoft, he became Gates’ right-hand man, eventually succeeding him as CEO. Since retiring from tech, he has reinvented himself as the most enthusiastic owner in professional sports and the founder of USAFacts, a non-profit dedicated to making government data accessible to the public.

Steve Ballmer Biography

Field	Details
Full Name	Steven Anthony Ballmer
Nickname	The Big Cheese, Monkey Boy
Date of Birth	March 24, 1956
Age	69 years
Birthplace	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality	American
Profession	Businessman, Sports Team Owner
Years Active	1980–present
Net Worth	$149 billion
Source of Wealth	Microsoft, Los Angeles Clippers
Education	Harvard University (B.A.), Stanford (Dropout)
Marital Status	Married
Spouse	Connie Snyder (m. 1990)
Children	Sam, Peter, Aaron
Parents	Frederic Henry Ballmer, Beatrice Dworkin

Early Life and Education

Steve Ballmer grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan. His father, Frederic, was a Swiss immigrant who worked as a manager at the Ford Motor Company, instilling in Steve a lifelong loyalty to Detroit and the automotive industry. His mother, Beatrice, was Jewish.

Ballmer was an academic prodigy. He attended the prestigious Detroit Country Day School, graduating as valedictorian with a perfect score of 800 on the math section of the SAT. He went on to Harvard University, where he managed the football team, worked on The Harvard Crimson newspaper, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in applied mathematics and economics in 1977. He famously scored higher than his classmate Bill Gates in a mathematical competition put on by the Mathematical Association of America.

Career

After college, Ballmer worked for two years at Procter & Gamble as an assistant product manager, where he shared a cubicle with future GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt. In 1980, he enrolled in the Stanford Graduate School of Business but dropped out within a year when Bill Gates persuaded him to join Microsoft as its first business manager.

Ballmer was employee number 30 at Microsoft. Over the next two decades, he headed several divisions, including operations, operating systems development, and sales and support. In January 2000, he was named CEO. During his 14-year tenure, Microsoft tripled its revenue and double its profits, launching products like Windows XP, Windows 7, Xbox, and acquiring Skype.

In 2014, Ballmer retired from Microsoft and immediately purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, a record price at the time. He has since poured money into the team, financing the construction of the Intuit Dome, a state-of-the-art arena in Inglewood, California.

Personal Life

Steve Ballmer has been married to Connie Snyder since 1990. They have three sons: Sam, Peter, and Aaron. The couple resides in Hunts Point, Washington, a wealthy suburb of Seattle.

Together, they run the Ballmer Group, a philanthropic organization focused on improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States. They have pledged billions to causes related to early childhood education, gun safety, and climate change. In 2022, the University of Oregon announced a $425 million donation from the Ballmers to establish an institute for children’s behavioral health.

Favorite Things

Category	Favorite
Sport	Basketball
Team	Los Angeles Clippers
Car Brand	Ford (loyal to his father’s employer)
Subject	Mathematics
Project	USAFacts.org
University	Harvard & University of Oregon (Donor)

50 Unknown Facts about Steve Ballmer

He was the first person to become a billionaire strictly through stock options as an employee (not a founder).
He scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of his SATs.
He lived down the hall from Bill Gates at Harvard.
He worked as an assistant product manager for Duncan Hines brownie mix at P&G.
He shared an office at P&G with Jeff Immelt, who later became CEO of General Electric.
He dropped out of Stanford Business School to join Microsoft.
He was Microsoft’s 30th employee.
He negotiated a salary of $50,000 plus 10% of the profit growth he generated when he joined Microsoft (later converted to equity).
He is known for his incredibly loud and energetic stage presence.
A video of him chanting “Developers! Developers! Developers!” became a viral internet meme.
He tore his vocal cords screaming “Windows! Windows! Windows!” at a sales meeting in Japan.
He owns the Los Angeles Clippers.
He paid $2 billion for the Clippers in 2014.
He banned the Clippers team from using Apple products (iPads, etc.) shortly after buying them.
He drives Ford vehicles to honor his father’s career.
He personally owns about 4% of Microsoft.
He collects more in annual dividends (over $1 billion) than most CEOs earn in a lifetime.
He founded USAFacts to provide a non-partisan view of government spending.
He served as the manager for the Harvard football team.
He has a net worth larger than the GDP of Kuwait.
He once acted in a commercial for Windows 1.0, parodying a used car salesman.
He was the best man at Bill Gates’ wedding.
He and Gates had a brief falling out over the direction of Microsoft (specifically hardware like the Surface) but have since reconciled.
He donated $50 million to the University of Oregon.
He donated $60 million to Harvard’s computer science department.
He is the richest sports team owner in the world.
He built the Intuit Dome, a $2 billion arena for the Clippers, with his own money.
He has pledged to give away the majority of his wealth.
He is Jewish on his mother’s side.
His father fled Switzerland during World War II.
He is known for his intense “monkey boy” dance on stage.
He admitted he was late to recognize the importance of the iPhone and mobile computing.
He oversaw the acquisition of Skype for $8.5 billion.
He launched the original Xbox.
He enjoys playing golf, though basketball is his primary passion now.
He checks the box scores of high school basketball games.
He is a data fanatic and runs his philanthropy based on metrics.
He has not sold significant amounts of Microsoft stock compared to Bill Gates.
He is the 9th or 10th richest person alive (fluctuates daily).
He visits the Clippers locker room but tries not to interfere with coaching.
He has invested in climate-friendly technology.
He was named a Knight of the Legion of Honor by France.
He is a morning person, often starting his day with exercise.
He has been criticized for Microsoft’s “stack ranking” employee review system, which he later abolished.
He calls the decision to buy the Clippers “the most fun thing I’ve ever done.”
He still gets excited about Microsoft product launches.
He has a “no-asshole policy” for the Clippers organization.
He funded a project to improve the foster care system in Washington State.
He is a regular courtside fixture at Clippers games, often screaming and cheering.
He plans to hold onto the Clippers and his Microsoft stock for the long haul.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Steve Ballmer?

Steve Ballmer is 69 years old (as of 2026).

Where does Steve Ballmer live?

He lives in Hunts Point, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, and also spends time in Los Angeles.

Is Steve Ballmer married?

Yes, he has been married to Connie Snyder since 1990.

How much is Steve Ballmer worth?

His estimated net worth is $149 billion.

Does Steve Ballmer own Microsoft?

He does not own the entire company, but he is the largest individual shareholder, owning approximately 4% of the stock.

What team does Steve Ballmer own?

He owns the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA), which he bought in 2014.

Did Steve Ballmer start Microsoft?

No, he was Employee Number 30. He was hired by Bill Gates in 1980 as the first business manager.

How much did he pay for the Clippers?

He paid $2 billion in cash.

Why is Steve Ballmer so rich?

He retained a massive equity stake in Microsoft, and unlike Bill Gates, he has held onto the majority of his shares as the stock price has skyrocketed over the last decade.

What is USAFacts?

It is a not-for-profit organization founded by Ballmer that provides a data-driven report on the US government’s revenue and spending, akin to a “10-K for the government.”