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For the first time in Microsoft's history, founder Bill Gates is no longer its largest individual shareholder. Last week, Gates has sold nearly 8 million shares of Microsoft bringing down his total to roughly 330 million. That puts him behind Microsoft's former CEO Steve Ballmer who owns 333 million shares. Related: Gates reclaims title of world's richest billionaire Ballmer, who was Microsoft's CEO until earlier this year, was one of Gates' first hires. It's a passing of the torch for Gates who has always been the largest single owner of his company's stock. Gates now spends his time and personal fortune helping run the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. The foundation has spent $28.3 billion fighting hunger and poverty since its inception back in 1997.