Billionaire ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s son shares his upbringing with rich father

Billionaire ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Photo by Reuters

"I was deeply uncomfortable with all this for the longest time," said Pete Ballmer, now 29 and a stand-up comedian formerly working as a project manager.

He reflected on preferential treatments he received into his mid-20s, including an exclusive visit to the Statue of Liberty where his family enjoyed a luxurious lunch in a private area, in stark contrast to the long queue of regular visitors nearby.

He received Microsoft stock from his grandfather which he said was worth "hundreds and thousands of dollars" by his mid-20s.

However, he also faced unwanted attention, such as classmates' comments about Apple, a Microsoft competitor. Pete Ballmer, who has ventured into stand-up comedy, even changed his stage name to "Pete Bronson" in college to distance himself from his father's fame.

Steve Ballmer served as the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He bought the professional basketball team Los Angeles Clippers, which competes in the prestigious National Basketball Association (NBA) league, in 2014, and has been the country’s richest sports team owner ever since. As of March 3, his net worth stands at an estimated US$123.3 billion, according to Forbes.