Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says companies need to continue to invest despite tariff turmoil

As President Trump’s tariffs continue to roil markets, former Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer says the best thing companies can do is continue to power through and invest in what they can. “The thing I would say is to make sure that you … invest your way through the tumult which is today,” he told Yahoo Finance during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event in Washington. “Whether it's going to be a down economy, whether it's going to be pressure from governments around the world. If you take a long-term view, don't worry so much about the short-term and short-term profits; serve your customers well. Serve the governments and cultures in which you serve well. You will come out the back end,” said Ballmer, who served as CEO from 2000 to 2014. Ballmer, who joined Microsoft founder Bill Gates and current CEO Satya Nadella for the event, explained that he took a similar stance when he helmed the company during the Great Recession. “It was a really bad economic time. What did we do as a company? We kept the pedal to the metal. We didn't say, ‘Revenue's down, let's stop investing,’ ” he explained. “And so whatever it takes to innovate and serve customers, I would prioritize that. And certainly as a shareholder, that's what I would ask Satya for.” Trump’s tariffs have sent shares of tech companies plummeting over the last two trading sessions. Microsoft closed down 3.5%, while Apple (AAPL) fell 7.2%. Google (GOOG, GOOGL) was off 3.4% and Amazon (AMZN) declined 4%. The broader S&P 500 (GSPC) dropped 6% and the Nasdaq (IXIC) plummeted 5.8%. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gets animated during an interview with host Brenda Song during a 50th Anniversary event at Microsoft headquarters, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond) · ASSOCIATED PRESS Ballmer ran Microsoft for 14 years, pushing the company into the cloud, which Nadella has used to turn the software giant into the second-largest publicly traded firm by market cap, behind only rival Apple. Ballmer says he sees Microsoft’s jump into the cloud and its ability to compete as his two biggest accomplishments during his time as chief executive. “We competed well and that gave the company the resources to continue to thrive,” Ballmer said of his time as CEO. “And I give Satya a whole lot of credit. He has done a fantastic job. And it's a different business today. Even though we started the cloud, the complexity of building all these data centers and buying all this electricity, it blows my mind.” Microsoft is among a handful of companies leading the AI race next to Amazon, Google, and a number of powerful startups including Perplexity. And part of Microsoft’s strength comes from its vast investments in OpenAI, as well as its own AI software. Now, Ballmer said, Microsoft has to continue to build new products and hold on to its lead.