Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft and current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, has declared Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) as his go-to source for news.
What Happened: This comes amid ongoing debates about the reliability of social media for news consumption and the struggles of traditional news outlets in the digital age.
“What I get on X is what news sources think is their most important stuff,” Ballmer stated in a recent interview. “I follow people who are important in world events. I wanna know straight from the source.”
The clip of Ballmer’s interview was shared by X CEO Linda Yaccarino on the platform, who emphasized the point by stating, “If you want the news, X is the place says facts guy,” and tagged Ballmer’s X account.
Interestingly, Microsoft, the company Ballmer once led, has its own news division. Microsoft News, initially launched in 2012, has seen significant development under current CEO Satya Nadella since 2014. Nadella’s leadership has steered Microsoft towards cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and digital content, including news services.
Why It Matters: The endorsement from Ballmer, coupled with Yaccarino’s promotion of it, also underscores Musk’s ambitions to position X as a leading platform for news and real-time information, potentially challenging both traditional media outlets and other tech giants in the news space.
In July, Ballmer briefly outpaced Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in terms of wealth, with both estimated to be worth $158 billion. This surge in wealth was attributed to Ballmer’s investments in various ventures, including sports and real estate.
Ballmer’s financial success is part of a trend among American billionaires who have attained their status not by establishing companies or inheriting wealth but by climbing the ranks. This exclusive cadre of billionaires includes notable figures such as Apple‘s Tim Cook, JPMorgan‘s Jamie Dimon, and Ballmer.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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