Rudder is also close to Gates. That could be a big factor. But he hasn't been on many people's Next CEO list.

>I guess I should clarify that Tony Bates isn't at the top of MY list. I think he's most likely to get the job if Microsoft goes with someone internal, based on the fact that he has technical (networking), business, and CEO skills, plus he's an "outside" guy that's already on the inside, but it's just a guess. Personally, I think someone like Eric Rudder would bring more "vision" to the company.