Microsoft: Board investigated Gates relationship

Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board last year while it was investigating his romantic relationship with a female employee, said Emily Glazer in The Wall Street Journal. The investigation started after an engineer reported the relationship in a letter to the board. A spokeswoman for Gates confirmed “an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably,” but said his exit from the board was unrelated. The New York Times also reported last week that the Microsoft co-founder had “developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work settings,” pursuing several women who worked for him. Gates and his wife, Melinda, announced their divorce earlier this month after 27 years of marriage.