Microsoft's stock surged $7.50 over two days, closing 11/6/96 at $144.50. Bill Gates, with 141M shares (23.7% of the company's stock), is now worth $20.4B. His fortune has increased by about $2B/year over the past decade. Each one-cent gain in the stock value increases his fortune by $1.4M. [Seattle Times. SJM, 11/7/96, C1.]

Microsoft is hiring somewhat older workers now, and their fresh-out-of-college workforce is aging. Average age is 34, with more than half in their 30s. The percentage of single employees dropped from 49% last year to 40% this year, with the percentage of married employees with children increasing from 28% to 35%. Employees are still expected to work long hours, but the company has been making concessions to child card and outside activities. Many workers now leave early -- 5:30 or 6pm -- and either return later or work at home via company-issued laptops. The effect of pregnancy on careers is still a major issue. [Seattle Times. SJM, 11/6/96, 8C.]

Microsoft has released a new Internet Explorer browser for Macintosh. Download for free from . Incidentally, Apple claims that its market share of computers accessing the Internet is 25%. [Reuters. clari.tw.computers.apple, 11/6/96. Bill Park.]