Ballmer has been working especially hard this year to revamp Microsoft and make it more competitive with tech's new "it girl," Google (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ). The major battle is for online search advertising, which the Internet king all but created--and dominates.
Ballmer will go to any length to sell a product, and doesn't worry about looking like a fool. In public appearances, he jumps and screeches like a monkey, drenches himself in sweat and sticks out his tongue when he's really pumped up about something.
Update -
WSJ: Gates-Ballmer clash
