Steve Ballmer's private jet: Inside his Gulfstream G650ER

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Steve Ballmer's private jet: Inside his Gulfstream G650ER

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Steve Ballmer Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft | Wikipedia

By Sky Industry News

Mar 12, 2025

Steve Ballmer, renowned for his tenure as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Microsoft during the 2000s, currently boasts a net worth exceeding $120 billion. According to Forbes, he ranks eighth on the list of the world's richest people, trailing only Bill Gates among Microsoft alumni.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 24, 1956, Ballmer attended Detroit Country Day School before moving on to Harvard University in the 1970s. After graduating from Harvard and a brief stint at Procter & Gamble, he enrolled in graduate school at Stanford University but left in 1980 to join Microsoft as its 30th employee and first business manager.

Ballmer's impact on Microsoft was immediate. He was awarded an eight percent ownership share when the company incorporated in 1981. Throughout the1980s and 1990s, he headed several divisions including operations, sales, and support. In January2000, Ballmer became CEO of Microsoft while Bill Gates remained Chairman of the Board. During his14-year tenure as CEO until February2014, Microsoft tripled its sales and doubled its profits.

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Today, Ballmer is also known for owning the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team. His immense wealth allows him to own a Gulfstream G650ER business jet—a symbol of ultimate travel flexibility. This aircraft enables him to fly directly to numerous global destinations without layovers typical of commercial flights.

The Gulfstream G650ER

The Gulfstream G650ER that Steve Ballmer flies is an ultra-long-range business jet registered as N709DS under CBAIR LLC based in Seattle Washington with Ballmer listed as its main operator Produced by Gulfstreamin2017with serial number6285 this aircraft can fly up to7500 nautical miles(8600 miles) making it one of the furthest-flying jetsinits class

AccordingtoCelebrityPrivateJetTracker some international destinations that Ballmer has flown his jet include North Eleuthera Airport(ELH)inthe Bahamas Paris-Le Bourget Airport(LBG)inFrance Edinburgh Airport(EDI)inScotland Belfast International Airport(BFS)inNorthern Ireland and Bergen Airport(BGO)inNorway

DomesticallyBallmer frequently flies between Los Angeles California Seattle Washington Detroit Michigan Chicago Illinois and Teterboro New Jersey His most popular route connects Boeing Field BF I Seattle with Los Angeles International Airport LAX a flight lasting just over two hours covering approximately950miles

A Brief History of the Gulfstream G650ER

TheGulfstreamG650seriesisconsideredoneofthemostluxuriousprivatejetoptionson themarket Whenitenteredserviceitwasthelargestfastestandfurthestflyingaircraft thatGulfstreamproduced HoweverithasrecentlybeensurpassedbytheGulfstreamG700inallcategoriesafteritscertificationinearly2024TheG650wasacleansheetdesignoneofGulfstreamsfirstsinceitsearlyproductiondays

InMay2005GulfstreambegandevelopinganultralongrangebusinessjettosurveypassBombardiersGlobalExpressseriesOnMarch132008theyrevealedthenewprojectpubliclystatingitwouldbethelargestfastestandmostexpensivebusinessjetonthemarket

The design took several years involving over1000wind tunnel testing hours The first prototype conducted its maiden flightinNovember2009kickingoffanextensiveflighttestingprogramwhichlasteduntilSeptember2012whentheFederalAviationAdministrationFAAawardedittstypecertificateGulfstreamofficiallyintroducedtheaircrafttomarketbyDecember2012

AnimmediatesuccessintheultralongrangeindustryfollowedleadingtoadevelopedvariantdesignatedasGulfstreamG65OERwhichutilizedmorefuelcapacityforfurtherrangeTypecertifiedinOctober2014itwasintroducedlaterthatyearOver500variantsbeenproducedwithproductionendingearly2025February