Bill Gates—Led Microsoft during antitrust trial that found company violated competition laws through browser bundling
As CEO and chairman, Bill Gates led Microsoft during the landmark 1998-2001 DOJ antitrust case. The trial resulted in Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruling that Microsoft violated antitrust laws by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows to stifle competition from Netscape. Gates personally testified in the trial. The EU subsequently fined Microsoft $2.4 billion (2004-2007) and an additional $1.4 billion (2008) for abusing its dominant market position.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antitrust & Competition | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -1.180 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
DOJ antitrust case ruled Microsoft violated competition laws under Gates' leadership
The 1998 DOJ antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, filed during Gates' tenure as CEO and chairman, resulted in Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ruling that Microsoft violated antitrust laws through bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. The EU subsequently levied approximately $3.8 billion in fines between 2004-2008.