Movie and TV CEOs Who Would Make Fine Replacements for Steve Ballmer

Bruce Wayne – Depending on the storyline and writers liberties, Bruce is sometimes the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. While not an active CEO (he spends his nights fighting crime in Gotham City) he does run an organization that is highly diversified, successful, and wealthy. However, the best attribute Bruce would bring to Microsoft is his intent on innovation. Wayne Enterprises' research and development department is second to none, supplying all manner of cool gadgets. Oh, and he has beaten Superman a few times.

Tony Stark – Tony Stark is another good candidate that has a comic book/movie/TV background. Tony runs Stark Industries and like Bruce not highly active. He's hands-on when he needs to be. Tony has experienced his company forcibly wrestled from his grip several times, only to come back and win back the thriving business his father built. Originally envisioned as an advanced weapons development and manufacturing arm for the US government. But Tony's biggest asset for taking the helm at Microsoft would be how completely overhauled the company, turning it into a depot for aeronautics, robotics, micro-technology, fringe science, and clean energy. Of course, in the comic books Tony did go through a bout of alcoholism that nearly destroyed himself and the company, but that could be avoided if Microsoft instituted regular breathalyzer check-ups.

Don Vito Corleone – Not a true CEO, Don Corleone managed the largest crime family that stretched from New York City to Cuba. I'm not suggesting that a crime lord take over at Microsoft, but, while he was a tough cookie who would resort to whatever means to win the day, Don Vito was still a generous man who lived by a strict moral code of loyalty to friends and, above all, family. I know many who work at Microsoft and, for some of them, sometimes feel a bit sorry for all the hours they work and the time they spend away from family. The loyalty that Don Vito's employees showed to him was second to none. So, despite his propensity to literally snuff out his competition there was something about him that people liked. Of course, fear could be a factor, too. A wrong line of code, an update that bricks Surface tablets, and an employee could just disappear overnight. Oh, and Google beware.