After thirty long years, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer finally stepped down this year, signalling the end of an era at the tech titan. For the first time since his announcement, Ballmer opened up to the Wall Street Journal about his departure. Last year Ballmer, 57, was facing intense pressure from Microsoft executives to turn around the company, and to do it quickly. Ballmer had been the companys CEO for over thirty years, guiding them from his Harvard dorm room with classmate Bill Gates to record profits, but his time was starting to wind down.