REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won
- Pete Ballmer, the son of Microsoft's former CEO, shared what it's like to grow up with a rich dad.
- The product manager-turned-comedian said he got unwanted attention and differential treatment.
- Still, he doesn't spend his wealth lavishly because of his parents' humble upbringings.
Pete Ballmer, one of three sons of ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, got real about what it's like growing up with an uber-wealthy father during a recent episode of the podcast "Cash Cuties."
"I was deeply uncomfortable with all this for the longest time," Pete Ballmer said in the interview released earlier this month.
Steve Ballmer, who led the software giant from 2000 to 2014, has a net worth of $121 billion as of February 27, according to Forbes.
The billionaire's son — a 29-year-old stand-up comedian who used to be a project manager — remembered getting preferential treatment up until his mid-20s.
He remembered visiting the Statue of Liberty with his family as a kid and eating a "nice lunch spread" at an exclusive, roped-off dining area that sat right next to a long line of visitors waiting to order food.
"When you're a billionaire, people will lay down for you," Ballmer said.
Ballmer also got plenty of unwanted attention. After a lacrosse game in middle school, Ballmer distinctly remembered his teammates shouting, "Apple is better," as he made his way through the handshake line.
During a basketball game, one teammate brought up his father and said, "I would kill to be in your position."
His discomfort with his family ties continued into his adulthood. When he first started doing stand-up in college, he said he changed his stage name to "Pete Bronson" to avoid being associated with his father.
"It was not something I wanted to be a part of who I was," Ballmer said. "It was frustrating to have people plant that on me."
Of course, money was never an issue. Ballmer said his dad was already president of Microsoft when he was born and got promoted to CEO when he was 9.
Pete Ballmer said his grandpa gave him a "decent percentage" of Microsoft stock, which he said was worth "hundreds and thousands of dollars" by the time he turned 25.
He went on nice family vacations and grew up in a home with five bathrooms. He even convinced his father to purchase the LA Clippers basketball team.
That doesn't mean Ballmer doesn't see money as disposable. Given his parents' upbringing — his mom grew up on a rural farm in Oregon and his dad in a middle-class household — Bronson internalized the belief that cash needed to be spent wisely.
As a kid, he got $10 a week for allowance. When he got older, he drove a 1998 Lincoln Town Car his father passed down to him.
Ballmer said he does spend big bucks on conveniences like "stupid irresponsible" Uber rides and DoorDash takeout to save time, and he uses his generational wealth to support his full-time stand-up comedy career.
He can "wipe financial errors" like last-minute flight changes without worrying about the cost.
"I don't want people to see my car and think, 'He's got money,' " Ballmer said.
While Ballmer seems aware that he grew up with an unusual amount of privilege, he joked that his prestige can only take him so far.
Towards the end of the episode, he recalled a time when he was hitting on a woman in Las Vegas by telling her that his dad was the CEO of Microsoft.
"You need to get a different line," she said and walked away.
Correction February 28, 2024: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described how Pete and Steve Ballmer discussed money. Pete Ballmer says he and his father have spoken twice in the last decade about finances with a moderator. The moderator is not present every time they speak about money.