Microsoft Names First Black Chairman [VIDEO]

A well-connected, deeply respected African-American man is taking over for Bill Gates as chairman of tech giant Microsoft! Watch him make the announcement inside.

Bill Gates, who has been Microsoft's chairman since the beginning, is moving into a new role as "Technical Advisor". Silicone Valley executive John W. Thompson will take his place. You read that right, a Black man is literally the "new Bill Gates"!

Congratulations, Mr. Thompson, you are making Black History in February!

Age: 64
Born: Fort Dix, N.J.
Education: Bachelor's degree in business, Florida A&M University; master's in management, MIT's Sloan School of Management
Career: Currently CEO of Virtual Instruments. Was CEO of Symantec from 1999 to 2009; previously worked for 28 years at IBM, rising to become general manager of sales and support for the Americas.
Public Service: He has served on a number of government boards and commissions, including the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee, and the Silicon Valley Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security and Technology. He also has served on the national board of Teach for America, an organization dedicated to eliminating educational inequities for all children.
Family: Married; two adult children.