When Microsoft announced it would acquire Nokia for $7.2bn in September 2013, the move confused many industry observers. A month earlier, Steve Ballmerhad revealed he was stepping down as chief executive.
The man tasked with finding a replacement to lead the Windows maker was John Thompson, 65, a Microsoft board member who succeeded company co-founder Bill Gatesas chairman last year.
In July, Satya Nadella, Mr Thompson’s pick for the top job, decided Nokia was an albatross and wrote down almost the entirety of the purchase while cutting 7,800 jobs at the Finnish group. The move was a stark repudiation of Microsoft’s ambition to become a leading player in the smartphone sector.
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