So what has Ballmer been up to since leaving Microsoft back in 2014, and how does he spend his money?

Steve Ballmer runs LA basketball team, the Clippers

Since leaving Microsoft in 2014, Ballmer, 67, has devoted his life to running the team, per The Verge. The former tech exec has always had a passion for basketball.

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“I’ve got big dreams for the team. I’d love to win a championship. I’d love the Clippers to be the most dynamic, vibrant team and name in professional sports. But I got a lot to learn,” he said, per the LA Times.

Ballmer promised at the time that he would not move the team, and that he would live between Los Angeles and his home base of Seattle: “The only way any of this makes sense – my desire to spend time in Los Angeles, this team, its aspirations, this community, this purchase price, any of that – is to really kind of live out the dream and make this kind of America’s team, the Los Angeles Clippers.”

Ballmer has also gained a reputation for his courtside antics while supporting his team. His passion for the game has been widely written about, sparking plenty of jokes and memes.

The US$2 billion Intuit Dome

Ballmer made headlines after the emergence of new details about the stadium he is building. The 17,500 seat stadium has not only seen Ballmer foot a US$2 billion bill, but he’s also become invested in every aspect of the venue. “I’ve become a real obsessive about toilets. Toilets, toilets, toilets,” he said, per The Washington Post.

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The new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Intuit Dome, will have over 1,000 toilets once all building is finished. Ballmer told Bloomberg that the arena will open later this year. Per Business Insider, the dome will have a halo-shaped LED board equal in size to over 3,590 60-inch TVs.

He’s a mental health advocate

Since leaving the tech giant, Ballmer has also shifted his focus to philanthropy. In 2022, he and his wife Connie donated around US$425 million towards an institute at the University of Oregon, which focuses on behavioural and mental health needs of children, per Forbes.

According to the Oregon Public Broadcasting organisation, the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health has attracted top medical staff, including Harvard psychologist Katie McLaughlin, who will lead the institute. Connie is an alumna of the school.

His Microsoft billions

Ballmer is worth an estimated US$120 billion, per Forbes. He spent over 30 years at Microsoft, stepping down as CEO in 2014. He noted in 2014 that he owned a four per cent stake in Microsoft, according to CNN, which continues to earn him millions.

In 2023, CNN added that Ballmer would earn US$1 billion a year after Microsoft boosted its quarterly dividend payout to 75 cents a share, or US$3 a share annually. The move meant that Ballmer would make around a billion a year just for owning the stock.

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Investing in website USAFacts

In 2017, Ballmer launched another passion project with professors, economists and programmers – USAFacts, a website devoted to helping people decipher where federal, state and local money is spent in the US. Ballmer spent around US$10 million just in start-up costs, per The Washington Post.

His luxury property portfolio

When you are one of the richest men in the world, a luxury home that provides security and privacy is a basic requirement. Ballmer own properties in Hunts Point, a small town across Lake Washington from Seattle, per Business Insider.

In 2019, Ballmer spent US$9.8 million on a second property adjacent to his main residence, according to Realtor. The new addition was listed as 3,790 sq ft with five bedrooms and four bathrooms. According to Whidbey News-Times, Ballmer and his wife also own 10 properties in Ledgewood near Coupeville.