A few days ago, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave a talk at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute in Ukraine. During the talk, he mentioned Twitter a few times. When a question from the audience asked Ballmer when he was going to start Tweeting, he revealed that he actually already has an account. He then proceeded to Tweet right on stage. Twitter universe, say hello to Steve Ballmer.
“I have a Twitter account. I’m just very private about who I really am on Twitter,” Ballmer said when asked. But then he went in a different direction and said he would Tweet from the stage. “What do you want me to tweet? I love KPI, how’s that?,” he asked. With that, he pulled out his new Windows Phone. “All right. I love KPI. Now, you know how to find me on Twitter.”
Sure enough, Manan Kakkar did the Twitter search and seems to have tracked down Ballmer’s Tweet. We have reached out to Microsoft to confirm that is Ballmer’s account (his account has no picture and only says “steve b”), but Ballmer himself seemed to confirm the name on stage. “But, you know the truth. Steve B. Microsoft up on Twitter,” is how the transcription reads. That’s @stevebmicrosoft in Twitter-speak.
Oddly enough, Ballmer apparently Tweeted right before the one done on stage with “Ukraine today“. That’s odd because prior to that, he hadn’t Tweeted since April 18, 2009 — about Russia. He then Tweeted one more time on November 5 and has been silent since.
That’s 4 Tweets, 842 followers, and 4 people he’s following. But yes, it appears that Steve Ballmer is on Twitter.
http://twitter.com/#!/stevebmicrosoft/status/524754939281408
http://twitter.com/#!/stevebmicrosoft/status/542937209372672
http://twitter.com/#!/stevebmicrosoft/status/573357137330176