It has been 50 years that Microsoft has been leading innovation. Yes, 50 years ago, that is in 1975, childhood friends – Bill Gates and Paul Allen – dared to dream bigger than what reality dictated at the time—giving people everywhere a whole new way to live, work, and play.
The rest, they say, is now history. Despite the changes in the technology landscape, Microsoft dream remains the same: empowering every person on the planet to achieve more.
Over the past five decades, Microsoft has driven innovation that has transformed the way that society uses technology both at work and at home, from revolutionizing personal computing with MS-DOS and Windows, bringing the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet with Xbox, to driving the future of cloud computing with Azure and AI transformation with Copilot and our AI platform.
To celebrate these last 50 years, Microsoft executives we’re looking back at some iconic moments from history, as complied below:
Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer:
“I’ve found myself reflecting on how Microsoft has remained a consequential company decade after decade in an industry with no franchise value. And I realize that it’s because—time and time again, when tech paradigms have shifted—we have seized the opportunity to reinvent ourselves to stay relevant to our customers, our partners and our employees. And that’s what we are doing again today.”
Kathleen Hogan, executive vice president, Office of Strategy and Transformation: “Microsoft’s success is driven by our extraordinary people committed to our mission to empower others. Our future success depends on our continued ability to learn, create and grow.”
Kevin Scott, chief technology officer:
“If you take a moment to consider what the world looked like 50 years ago, it’s difficult to overstate how much impact Microsoft has had on the subsequent five decades of technological advancement: driving the personal computing revolution, creating an entire ecosystem around it, and the many significant contributions to all of the technology platforms that have come since. Even in light of this enormous legacy, I believe that what lies ahead with the AI platform we’re building today may ultimately have more impact on the world than all of those other things combined.”
Peter Lee, president, Microsoft Research: “For 34 of Microsoft’s 50 years, Microsoft Research has advanced the state of the art in computing foundations and AI advancements, transferred uncountably many technologies into products, and provided deep insights into what’s coming next in technology. Our research will continue to empower Microsoft’s customers and broader society to solve real-world challenges and drive positive impact.”
Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer: “As I reflect on 50 years of innovation at Microsoft, I am so grateful for the pivotal role our customers and partners have played in our journey.
“Their trust and collaboration have been instrumental in driving technological advancements and shaping industries. As we look to the future, the Microsoft Cloud and our AI portfolio will continue to accelerate AI Transformation—enabling us to work side-by-side with our customers and partners to create positive, pragmatic change.”
Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer: “Microsoft’s 50-year journey is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation, growth and continuous reinvention. Here’s to the next 50 years of driving progress and boldly leading into the future.”
Mustafa Suleyman, chief executive officer, Microsoft AI: “Like for so many, my first memories of using a computer are inextricably tied to Microsoft. From Encarta to Internet Explorer, I’ll never forget how it magically opened my world. Everything was suddenly at my fingertips. Today, we’re dedicated to doing this for a new generation, using AI to explore knowledge, fire our creativity, deepen our connections, offload the burden and bring a sense of calm and clarity to our overloaded minds. Microsoft has consistently re-invented itself and built new eras of technology; now we couldn’t be more excited to do it again.”
Phil Spencer, chief executive officer, Microsoft Gaming:
“Over the past 50 years, Microsoft has shaped the future of work and play through our apps, services, hardware, games and AI. Our success is driven by our amazing teams, players, and partners. Here’s to the next 50 years of bringing the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet.”
Sarah Bird, chief product officer, Responsible AI: “Over the last 50 years, Microsoft has built technology with lasting, responsible impact. We know that the decisions we make today around AI, and how we develop, test and deploy these systems, will impact the next 50 years, so I am proud that we are leading with a responsible innovation mindset.”
Ann Johnson, corporate vice president and deputy CISO:
“At Microsoft, we are deeply committed to our role in safeguarding the world. Security is not just a priority; it’s a collaborative effort with our customers, partners and the technology ecosystem that drives innovation. By working together, we ensure that we are prepared to protect our customers and pave the way for the next 50 years of groundbreaking advancements. Our dedication to security fuels our mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.”
Melanie Nakagawa, chief sustainability officer: “As Microsoft marks its 50th year, I’m proud of our ambitious sustainability commitments, the tremendous work we’ve put in to get here, and our work to empower thousands of customers and partners with the technology needed to build a more sustainable future. Looking ahead, we are already seeing examples of how AI offers an unprecedented opportunity to drive the positive change we urgently need to create a more healthy, prosperous and sustainable world for generations to come.”
Pavan Davuluri, corporate vice president, Windows + Devices:
“Fifty years ago, Microsoft was founded with a vision of a PC on every desk and in every home. Today, that vision has evolved into an ecosystem that powers how the world works, learns, connects and plays. Windows, Surface and our partners, are central to this transformation, and as we look to the future, we are more energized than ever to create experiences that seamlessly integrate AI and cloud technologies. Windows will continue to carry forward the vision of a PC for all—transforming ambition into innovation, catalyzing creativity and turning dreams into achievements.”
Julia Liuson, President, developer division: “Our aim to delight every developer will remain a cornerstone of our success for the next 50 years. The future will be built by fulfilling our mission to enable every developer to shape the future with AI, propelling global progress driven by our commitment to innovation, openness and collaboration.”
Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president, Business C Industry Copilot: “While cloud transformed enterprise applications, AI is fundamentally changing the market for the first time in over 20 years. I truly believe Microsoft is at the forefront of this shift, enabling every organization to reimagine business workflows as agents. Together with our customers, we are creating the new world of work, with people at the center, assisted by Microsoft 365 Copilot and scaling through a team of agents.”
Jaime Teevan, chief scientist and technical fellow: “Microsoft’s half-century of innovation has laid the foundation for a new era of work, where AI helps people think, create and collaborate more meaningfully.”
Eric Horvitz, chief scientific officer, technical fellow, and founder of Microsoft’s first AI research team:
“From groundbreaking ideas in our research labs to empowering billions globally, Microsoft’s story is one of turning possibilities into realities. For me, it’s been a journey fueled by curiosity, bold optimism, teamwork—and care. I’ve been inspired by how the company has taken a broad-minded approach to innovation, going beyond capabilities to embrace the critical importance of safety, trustworthiness, privacy and the broader societal implications of transformative technologies like AI.”
Samer Abu-Ltaif, president, Microsoft EMEA:
“As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’re seeing companies in EMEA rapidly deploy AI at scale—augmenting everyone from research scientists to factory floor managers. This is driving innovation, productivity and growth. We also see public and private organizations using AI to address societal issues, from sustainability to healthcare access. So, it’s a wonderful moment to appreciate what we have achieved with our customers and partners to date—but the greatest opportunities are clearly ahead of us.”
Rodrigo Kede Lima, president, Microsoft Asia: “Microsoft’s 50th anniversary is a celebration of innovation, invention and human ingenuity. Most importantly, it marks our ability to drive progress and make the world a better place through technology.”
Deb Cupp, president, Microsoft Americas: “Turning 50 is a testament to the dedication of our employees, customers and partners. Together, we will shape the next era of innovation and create lasting positive impact on the world.”
Mark Linton, vice president, Device Partner Sales:
“For decades, Windows has been the computing platform of choice for customers around the world. This global scale wouldn’t have been possible without deep collaboration with our silicon, device, and channel partners. Together, we have transformed how the world works and plays, making progress toward our mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more. We look forward to delivering innovative Windows devices and cloud solutions, powered by AI, for decades to come.”
