Microsoft evolved around Bill Gates, so how will Microsoft do without him is one thing everyone is curious about. With just days before his “time off” (not a complete break, just less Microsoft, more charity), scenarios of all kinds come through our minds.

After 30 years as head of the one of the best known companies in the world, he’s made a reputation of being more than a leader in innovation, but also a philanthropist.

Starting this Friday, Gates will go from being a full-time leader of a software giant, to being a full-time philanthropist.

It is impossible to say what will happen to Microsoft after Gates’ departure, but everyone expects the new Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie and Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie to live up to expectations and keep the company as a leader in the industry.

As Gates said in a statement, Microsoft is well-positioned at the moment, and it has a bright future ahead with Mundie and Ozzie at the company.

Gates of course will keep a role in the company that remains so close to his heart, and act as non-executive chairman.

The announcement and preparation for this transition started back in 2006, when Microsoft began the restructuring process of its leadership, in order to allow Bill Gates to focus more on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

As Gates himself pointed out in an interview with Channel9, he is giving up his 30-year job to focus more on his “healthy people in every country” objective.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation took shape in 2000, to focus on healthcare and provide solutions for a series of global issues such as extreme poverty, as well as offer educational opportunities all over the world.

As he prepares for a major change in his life, Gates said he feels that the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever, and although the decision was hard to make, he feels lucky to have two such important and challenging passions.