You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Steve Ballmer's Most Awkwardly Hilarious Moments As he gets ready to buy the LA Clippers basketball team, a look back at the former Microsoft CEO's most unusual public antics.

By Jason Fell

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Steve Ballmer is a former tech executive who's about to buy a basketball team. He's also an awkwardly funny dude.

Yesterday, news broke that Ballmer -- the former longtime Microsoft CEO -- had agreed to buy the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion. From the board room to the basketball court. Why not, right?

Ballmer, as you may recall, stepped down as Microsoft's chief executive in February after serving in that role since 2000. During that time, Microsoft had some hits (Windows, Office, XBox) and some big misses (Vista, Windows 8, anything mobile). Under Ballmer, Microsoft's annual revenue grew from $25 billion to $70 billion, and net income increased 215 percent to $23 billion.

Related: Steve Ballmer to Retire as Microsoft CEO

If you paid attention to Ballmer and Microsoft during that time then you've likely also been witness to one or two -- or several -- of his painfully awkward public moments. He yells. A lot. He sweats. He jumps around. He teams up with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates for really corny spoof videos.

The list goes on. And on.

Because it's Friday -- and, why not? -- here are just a few examples of Ballmer at his most awkward, arguably at his best. Enjoy.

Ballmer plays Dr. Evil in this Austin Powers spoof with Gates. (Yes, Clippers fans, this is your new owner.)

Sometimes he gets excited. Like, really excited.

He loves developers. (Can you tell?) He also sweats. A lot.


And, finally, Ballmer and Gates do Night at the Roxbury. Seriously.

Related: Why All the Hate for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer?

Jason Fell

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

I Started a Semi-Passive Side Hustle That Earns $33,000 a Week on Amazon: 'Selling There Is a No-Brainer'

Dr. Jenny Woo wanted to create a product that would help people connect, and it turned out to be a lucrative one.

Business News

'Wildly Inappropriate': Woman Says She Was Denied a Job Because She Didn't Wear Makeup During the Interview

Melissa Weaver was applying for a VP of HR job at a tech company via video.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.