On Friday, Bill Gates announced that he would be stepping down from Microsoft's board of directors some 12 years after stepping down from his role as interim CEO to join the board. The move isn't exactly sudden: Gates has devoted more and more time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, but it marks the end of his official tenure with the global software giant. Gates' departure comes at a time when Microsoft is gearing up for its next generation of home video game consoles, called Xbox Series X, as well as the upcoming release of the Microsoft Surface Neo, the company's first dual-screen PC. company with Windows 10X. The tech icon has been a member of Microsoft's board of directors since 2008, when he stepped down as the company's CEO, and still owns 1.36% of Microsoft's shares, according to CNBC. Microsoft has yet to name a replacement for Gates' job, but current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has issued the following statement: “It has been an immense honor and privilege to have worked with and learned from Bill over the years. Bill founded our company with a belief in the power of software democratization and a passion for solving society's most pressing challenges. And Microsoft and the world are better for it. The board benefited from Bill's leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill's continued passion and technical advice to advance our products and services. "I am grateful for Bill's friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him to fulfill our mission of empowering every person and organization on the planet to do more." Development ...